Schools
School Start Time Controversy Inching To Referendum In New Canaan
Enough signatures reportedly were turned in to begin the process; more signatures are needed to force the referendum.
NEW CANAAN, CT — Opponents to changes to school start times in New Canaan appear to have garnered more than enough signatures this week to begin moving toward a referendum on the issue, reported the New Canaan Advertiser.
Fifty signatures were needed to start the process, and filers reportedly turned in just over 100. Now they need 700 signatures by May 7 to force a referendum.
Parents who oppose the new school start times mostly object to the 7:45 a.m. start for elementary school students, because they say it is too early for those children. Older students would start later under a tiered system.
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The approved Board of Education for 2021-22 is $92.27 million, up just over 1.5 percent from the current year's allocation, which includes more than $460,000 to implement the new start times.
The opponents want the referendum to center on that amount and have it removed from the school budget.
Find out what's happening in New Canaanfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
School start times have been the focus of years of discussion and research in New Canaan and other communities throughout Fairfield County, with many communities opting for later start times.
Read the New Canaan Advertiser story.
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