Woodhaven High School has drastically changed during the 2024-2025 school year. Incoming first-year high school students have been added back into the Woodhaven High School building for the first time since 1972. Due to the incoming freshman, the Woodhaven-Brownstown school district committee made a challenging decision to have an earlier start and end time.
These decisions were made to improve the lives and opportunities of our students, staff, and families. The Woodhaven-Brownstown school district committee was worried about the drawbacks the new times would have without the Woodhaven High School times changing.
Bus routes would be scattered, traffic would be everywhere, and elementary school students would leave school too late, resulting in a lack of social interaction after school. These changes were announced at the end of the 2023-2024 school year to inform families and staff about all upcoming changes. However, many students, staff, and families have had some concerns and have been affected by these changes.
Juna Maxhari states, “While it has its benefits, I feel I am less productive than when school started later, resulting in more sleep and ending earlier. The extra 15 minutes was better used in the morning than in the afternoon, leading to procrastination.” Students at Woodhaven High School claim that 15 minutes of more sleep is a real difference.
While schools start early, they need to recognize its effects on students. Risks of poor academic performance, depression, driving accidents, etc, have now increased more than ever. According to Nea Today, “With stress and mental health challenges on the rise, later start times are seen as a relatively pain-free step in making schools healthier and happier places for students.”
The earlier end time impacts students as well. Jena Nguyen said, “I enjoy getting out a little earlier so I can go home and finish my homework.” Early ending times allow students to get home earlier, do extracurricular activities, and work. Woodhaven High School went from the end time being 2:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Students having to be at school for less time may help reduce high-stress levels. Woodhaven High School continues each and every day to strive and impact students’ lives. Through the changes we may have faced this year, students each and every day continue to be affected positively and negatively.
