On Monday, January 30, the towns of Hollis and Brookline met at Captain Samuel Douglas Academy to discuss the ongoing topic of altering the start time of  both the coop and elementary schools.  The discussion was led by HB Cooperative school board member Krista Whalen along with Start Time Committee members. The group is comprised of teachers, principals, district members, and Student Body President Maggie O’Hara ’17. These individuals have been working for three years to conduct research to prove that moving the start time of each school would be an improvement for everyone involved.

Whalen began the meeting with a presentation of the Committee’s research (for more information, check out “Changing school start Time: and why it’s so important”). The discussion was then opened to the audience, jam-packed with students, teachers, parents, and many more. Questions posed by the audience will help the Committee adjust their proposal to better fit the community’s concerns.

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Adam McQuilkin

Eleanor Quarles '18 voices her opinion on start time to the committee.

Many HB students took to the mic to voice their opinions and/or questions for the Committee. These students included Caitlin Ross ’17, Alexander Lawrence ’18, Mary Martin ’20, and Eleanor Quarles ’18.

“I thought it was great how students could give their input,” said Zoe Bertone ’17, who also spoke to the audience “Everyone could say how they felt, regardless of their stance.”

The Committee will continue to deliberate different ideas in order to incorporate the matters discussed at the forum and will hopefully present a final proposal to the school board in April.