OPINION: Why CGS needs to rethink the 8:25 start time

Five minutes may not seem like much, but in the world of a high school student, it can mean the difference between a calm morning and a chaotic rush.

This year, Catlin Gabel School (CGS) introduced a seemingly minor adjustment to the school schedule: moving the start time five minutes earlier, from 8:30 to 8:25, to allow for a longer 10-minute passing period between the first and second periods. While the change may seem small on paper, its impact has been anything but insignificant for students

To gauge how this adjustment has affected students, I released a survey to returning high schoolers (grades 10 and up) and the results were rather striking.

Out of 59 respondents, 42 students rated their feelings about the new start time on a 5-point scale at a “two” or below with many describing it as disruptive and unnecessary. “It's harder to get here early–if I get here at 8:21, I have to worry about being late,” said one student.

Another student stated that the new start time messes with the CGS bus schedules and that “one [bus] arrives basically at 8:25” which puts students in a rush to get to class. The responses from this survey seem to highlight a fundamental truth: the 8:25 start time has done more to inconvenience students than to improve their experience.

One of the biggest issues with the earlier start time is its impact on morning routines. In the survey, students consistently reported feeling rushed and stressed as they scrambled to get to school on time.

“...the bus I would normally take would get me to school at 8:24 and I would have 6 minutes to get to class but now I am required to catch a bus 15 minutes earlier which caused me to have to wake up significantly earlier,” said one student shared in the survey.

Another student echoed the sentiment, saying, “I have to get up 10 minutes earlier to account for traffic, and it just makes me feel more rushed.”

For those who rely on public transit, the change is also disruptive. “There’s one less bus I can take to school on time now,” said one student. These logistical challenges may seem minor to an outsider, but for students trying to manage tight schedules and morning responsibilities, they create unnecessary stress and leave less time for rest and preparation.

Another one of the big things mentioned was that many students feel that the earlier start time has worsened an already difficult traffic situation. Students have been reporting longer delays at key bottlenecks such as the light into the school entrance and the turn-off into St. Vincents.

“Traffic is worse, and I’m usually stuck outside the school entrance/St. Vs for a while,” one student noted. Another student explained, “Because of traffic, I have to leave so much earlier just to avoid being late.”

One of the “big” changes was the 10-minute passing period between first and second periods yet a staggering 64 percent of students said they didn’t notice any difference.

*Pie chart showing students thought about the passing period. Courtesy of Charlie Nemecek ‘25*
Even more tellingly, 74 percent of students who took the survey said they would rather return to the 5-minute passing period if it meant starting at 8:30 instead.

*Pie chart of survey results showing student preferences. Courtesy of Charlie Nemecek ‘25*

This data certainly underscores a critical question: if a large number of students see no benefit from the longer passing period, why was the earlier start time deemed necessary?

To find the answer to this question, I turned to some of the very people in charge of this change for answers. The Assistant Head of School Kama Bruce explained that the schedule change aimed to address several critical needs.

In an email, Bruce explained that the additional 5 minutes each day allowed for adjustments in the Middle School schedule, including an extra math block, while also expanding C&C time to support social-emotional learning.

The longer passing period after the first period was put in place to align the schedules of the Middle and Upper School as the Middle school still has a 5-minute passing period between first and second period, but now has a 15-minute break after the second class.

Bruce explained, “This aligns with best practices, as it is important to include a break after two consecutive academic blocks.” The Upper School Dean of Students John Harnetiaux echoed this perspective, emphasizing the complexity of balancing competing priorities.

“The decision to add 5 minutes to the start/end of each day came from trying to ensure we had enough CoCu time built in throughout the week to support clubs, activities, affinity groups, assemblies, and advisory, while also carving out longer blocks of time to support other divisional initiatives without cutting into class time,” Harnetiaux wrote in an email to me.

Harnetiaux acknowledged the challenges this change has created for some students, particularly those who rely on public transportation or have faculty members managing childcare. “We’ve heard this feedback about the start/end time for sure and are always re-evaluating,” he said.

It’s clear that the administration had fairly valid reasons for implementing these changes, from enhancing math instruction in the Middle School to creating more time for social-emotional learning and community building. However, the feedback from students suggests that the trade-offs may not be as effective as intended.
The frustrations expressed by students–rushed mornings, increased traffic challenges, and minimal perceived benefit from the longer passing period seem to highlight the need for ongoing dialogue and perhaps a new medium for students. “I resent that they pushed [the start time] forward when we’ve been advocating to push it back,” said one survey respondent.

Although the schedule was certainly designed with good intentions for both faculty and students, the reality is that many Upper School students are struggling to adjust. The CGS administration has indicated that they are open to re-evaluating the schedule which hopefully, a solution can be found through dialogue with students and staff.

For now, though, it's clear that the earlier start time has created significant difficulties and in an age where schools are increasingly prioritizing student well-being, even small changes like these should be carefully considered and assessed to ensure they serve the best interests of the entire community as a whole.