October 10, 2024•LMC• 3 minutes to read

Student arrival and dismissal times adjusted to reflect research

by Kimberly Crane

The challenge  

Inspired by its Labor Management Collaborative (LMC), leadership teams in the Highland Park School District (HPSD) recently tackled the complex issue of changing student arrival and dismissal times. The change was needed to accommodate research showing that it is healthier for middle and high school students to start school later.  

Though start and end times are not officially negotiable, the Highland Park Education Association (HPEA) and HPSD leadership agreed that staff input was critical to ensure that the impact on members and students did not create insurmountable problems. As a result, the school community had a year to anticipate the change. A schedule was worked out that ensured all students could get to school safely, equitably and on time. 

Concerns and compromises  

There were challenges to the time change. Student busing was an obstacle because all four buildings in the district use the same transportation company. Marilyn Pruce, the Highland Park board of education president at the time, notes that finding solutions was not without conflict. 

“There was disagreement from some members of the district communities about the decision to change start times,” says Pruce. “To address the concerns, the district’s leadership teams gathered data on the impact of the change and worked collaboratively to review the results. They will continue to monitor the impact over the course of the next school year.”  

LMC inspiration 

The district became invested in collaboration after a tumultuous period in 2013-14 that resulted in the replacement of several administrators and a turnover of the school board. The HPEA and Highland Park community advocated for the administrative changes after a RIF of seven HPEA members, including the association’s president.   

HPEA President Keith Presty looks back on the district’s history as a reminder of how far they have come.  

“Our focus as educators is to always provide the best outcomes for students,” Presty says. “When leaders within a district are at odds, it creates chaos for our kids as well as our members. That is an unacceptable outcome.”  

In Presty’s experience, LMC practices are a necessity for a school district to function at the highest level. Presty has weekly meetings with the superintendent and ensures that the local association has representatives who sit on all district committees, attend school board meetings and participate in as many New Jersey Labor Management Collaborative events and workshops as possible.  

LMC practices in place 

The HPSD has LMC-focused leadership teams in place that meet monthly within each school building as well as a district level team. 

“I am incredibly proud of the collaborative model we’ve built with the staff and board members,” says Superintendent Dr. Kristina Susca. “Together, we tackle challenges head-on, finding solutions that prioritize the success of our students and the well-being of our staff. This partnership continues to strengthen our schools and our community.”  

LMC = Success   

The successful transition in the 2023-24 school year to new start and dismissal times, was a direct result of the intentional investment in the LMC process by the HPEA and district leaders. 

“The board truly values its work with the Labor Management Collaborative,” says current Board of Education President Allison Casal-Dunn. “So much so that we are including our continued commitment to collaborative practices as part of our board goals. Working together allows us to systematically address our district’s needs and ensure that future generations of students will benefit from our work.” 

HPEA and HPSD leaders and members are expanding their LMC strategies and practices by attend the NJLMC conference in Atlantic City on Nov 5, 6, and 7. 

Kimberly Crane is an NJEA Communications Consultant and the vice president of the Highland Park Education Association. She can be reached at kcrane@njea.org.  

For more information on the New Jersey Labor Management Collaborative email Mike Ritzius NJEA liaison to the New Jersey LMC at mritzius@njea.org.