Members
The committee is comprised of 16 voting members representing the following interest groups:

• District Accountability Committee
• Financial Accountability Committee
• Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee
• Educational Technology Advisory Committee
• Special Services Advisory Committee
• PTO Presidents Council
• LPS charter schools
• Parents
• Community members
• Senior community members
• South Suburban Parks and Recreation District
• YMCA of Littleton
• Optimists' Club

Background
In the spring of 2017, LPS began to explore how to streamline school start and end times to better meet the needs of teenagers and to pave the way for improved and more efficient transportation services in the future. Research tells us that a later school start time positively impacts alertness, mental health, wellness and behavior in high school and middle school students, which means students are better prepared to learn.

Community conversations about the possibility of changing school start times began last spring through 22 staff and 30 parent/community meetings throughout the school district. In addition, nearly 6,000 parents, staff and secondary students participated in a survey about potential changes to school start times. The LPS Board of Education asked the Long-Range Planning Committee to further study the issue and provide the Board with recommendations in November 2017.

Summary of February 2017 Survey Results
In February 2017, nearly 6,000 parents, staff members and middle/high school students participated in a survey about potential changes to school start times. The survey asked participants to react to one specific option. 

Parents and staff members who participated in the survey indicated:

• 74% approve of an 8:30 a.m. school start time and a 3:30 p.m. dismissal time for high schools
• 65% approve of a 9 a.m. school start time and a 4 p.m. dismissal time for middle schools
• 68% approve of an 8 a.m. school start time and a 2:45 p.m. dismissal time for elementary schools
• 91% of high school survey participants and 83% of middle school participants said they would use the extra time in the morning to sleep

Summary of October 2017 Survey Results
In October 2017, LPS employees and parents were invited to participate in another survey regarding possible changes to school start times.  6,305 parents and employees responded.  It was a self-selected survey with a response rate of 36%. Participants were asked to indicate preferences of a possible change to school start times among three choices:  Option 1, Option 2, and No Change (see the chart below.) Participants were asked their first choice and their second choice.

Survey results indicate:

• More than 66% of all parents prefer a change to school start times. They are fairly evenly split between Option 1 and Option 2 as their first choice. This also holds true among individual parent groups.
• 66% of preschool and elementary school parents want change as a first choice.
• 62% of middle school parents want change as a first choice.
• 65% of high school parents want change as a first choice.
• 55% of all LPS employee respondents prefer change (or have no preference) and are evenly split between Option 1 and option 2 as their first choice.
• Nearly 74% of preschool and elementary school employees want change as a first choice.
• 60% of middle school employees prefer No Change as their first choice.
• 60% of high school employees prefer No Change as their first choice.

October 2017 survey results were presented to the Long Range Planning Committee in early November, 2017. View the presentation.