The Gorham School Day Committee began its work this past February and has held three meetings so far. It is comprised of students, staff, parents, school administration, and a School Committee (SC) member.

The purpose of this committee is to study Gorham’s existing school day in terms of length and start times in order to consider if our current approach is what is best for our children and optimal for teaching and learning.

In order to accomplish this, the committee is examining current adolescent sleep research, sending out surveys to students and parents, considering what other schools in Maine and the nation are doing, and also analyzing the pluses and minuses of any possible change to the length of the school day and/or the start times.

This includes consideration of the strengths and limitations of our current model and the ramifications for any change. The findings of the committee will be presented in a written recommendation to the Gorham SC outlining the strengths and limitations of our current school day and suggestions (if we determine this is the way to go) for how we might increase the length of our school day and/or alter our start times.

In the fall, there will be opportunities for public engagement in this important decision-making process. The committee is taking a deliberative approach and truly aims to make informed recommendations to the SC around the beginning of 2018.