North Salem Central School District clarifies decision on school start times

Following a July 10 Board of Education meeting that included a presentation and accompanying recommendation to pursue a later start time for the North Salem Central School District, district officials clarified that a final decision on whether it would shift start times has not yet been made.

“The presentation at the board meeting on July 10 was informational and did not present a final decision by the district,” said Superintendent Dr. Duncan Wilson. “We plan to present the same information at a September board meeting with the goal of making a final decision by early October, in time for the start of the annual budget process.”

The North Salem Post previously reported that the district was moving to implement a later start time beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.

Wilson, who became Superintendent July 1 following Dr. Ken Freeston’s retirement, shared that he has been impressed with the thoroughness of the committee’s work to date, as well as the level of detail they provided to explain how start time changes would impact students and families.

“Their work also carefully explores the budget impact of these proposed changes. Operationalizing such a complex change cannot happen all at once. Input has been gathered from the community, solutions have been explored, and many voices have been heard,” Wilson said, adding, “I believe we are well positioned to make an informed decision early this fall.”