The Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously on Tuesday night to change school start times for most high schools and elementary schools, beginning in the 2026/27 school year.¶
Board members selected the proposal dubbed the “Squeeze” over two other options developed by consultants. It will move most high school start and dismissal times forward by twenty minutes, and elementary start and dismissal times forward by 10 minutes.¶
The move is primarily to address complaints about the existing 7:05 a.m. start time for high school students, the earliest in the state.¶
“I think this makes sense to do,” said Board Member Erin O’Hara Block, who made the motion to approve the plan. “We make this change, a student who is normally at the bus stop at 5:30, which is the earliest time, is now at 5:50. The average student at 6:15 is now at 6:35 or 6:40. For me, if I get to set my alarm that difference, like that’s a better day.”¶
Feedback Supported Change¶
The district held months of public hearings to gather feedback from parents, staff, and students. It also conducted two online surveys, yielding 23,000 responses.¶
District Chief of Communications and Technology Sean Braisted told the board Tuesday night that 56 percent of responses supported later start times, and the highest support came for the so-called “Squeeze” option.¶
Consultants additionally told board members that this option could be implemented without additional transportation improvements and with minimal changes to school bus ride times.¶
Not the “Ideal” Option¶
Despite the unanimous vote, several board members expressed frustration that start times couldn’t be moved later for high school students, and some questioned whether the 20-minute change would have a meaningful impact.¶
“What are we trying to solve for, and does this change do that?” asked Board Member Cheryl Mayes. “I don’t know that I have heard that answer yet.”¶
One challenge the board faced in making more drastic changes to high school start and dismissal times is that some families depend on high school students to care for their younger siblings after school. Additionally, some high school students with after-school jobs benefit from the early dismissal and moving elementary school dismissal times later could create challenges with rush-hour traffic.¶
“To me, this first option does not meet my ideal, but it gets us closer to it. And so I am willing to do whatever small steps I can to get closer to what I think the ideal should be,” said Board Member Abaigail Tylor.¶
Magnet schools and middle Schools will not be impacted by the change.¶
