Fairfax takes small step in debate over high-school start times

For the eighth time in 24 years, the Fairfax County School Board is studying whether high schools should open later in the morning to accommodate teens’ natural sleep cycles.

At a work session Monday, board members appeared to be headed toward hiring a consultant to identify how to push back high-school start times without breaking the budget and with minimal disruption to families’ lives.

Board Chairwoman Jane K. Strauss (Dranesville) tapped four of her colleagues to serve on an ad-hoc committee that will craft a description of the work that the board will expect of a consultant.