Mid-coast schools in Maine are considering changing the time classes start each day, but some parents don't like the idea. We'd like to know what you think!

WABI-TV reports a group of mid-coast schools, including those from Camden to Friendship, and Rockland to Washington, are considering new start-times for elementary and high school students. It's not a new idea, but one that's been considered for the past couple of years. And it was the topic of discussion at a meeting in Warren this week.

The proposal would have elementary students starting school an hour earlier, at around 7:30. Research suggests that young children are at their most alert early in the morning. At the other end of the spectrum, high school students would begin classes an hour later, at around 8:30, since studies have shown that teenagers are at their sleepiest at 7 a.m. Some school administrators feel the shift in start times would enable students to work when they're at their best.

But not everyone is happy about it. Some parents are concerned about how it will affect their own schedules and their childcare arrangements. Young children getting out an hour earlier  means parents need to be out of work earlier to care for them, or their daycare accommodations would need to change. And many of those parents rely on their high school age teens to watch the younger children until they get home, but if the teens are staying longer they may no longer be available.

It's a complicated issue, for sure, so we'd like you to weigh in and let us know what you think. Is it a good idea?

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