KIRKLAND, Wash. — Tuesday marked the first day of school for students in the Lake Washington School District, who started the academic year with a big change.
The second-largest school district in the state is now starting 30 minutes later than in the 2022-2023 school year.
For students at Lake Washington High School, that means the bell rang at 8:30 a.m.
“It’s a mixed reaction,” said the principal, Christine Bell.
Bell said some students are happy to have the extra time in the morning, while others are worried about scheduling after school activities.
Later start times for schools is something the community has been pushing for, pointing to studies that show later start times correlate to improved focus and energy.
While the later start times won’t impact teachers, they too are heading into the new school year with some changes.
The district signed a new contract with the teachers' union in June that includes a 3.7% pay increase for the 2023-2024 school year, as well as staffing increases.
“We are fully staffed for this year and I’m excited for more counseling allocation and putting a focus on mental health,” said Bell.
Mental health and community is top of mind for student leaders who play a big role on the first day of school welcoming students back in, especially those new to the district and freshman.
“Freshman year of high school is one of the greatest experiences you can have… and you’re going to do awesome, that’s all I have to say,” said junior and student leader Noah Hanculak.
Also new this year is an updated academic dishonesty policy that includes the use of Artificial Intelligence.
Chat GPT and AI were buzzwords last spring and Bell said teachers took the summer to better understand the technology.