MNPS Families and Staff,
We are writing to share an important update regarding school start and end times.
At its recent meeting, the Metro Nashville Board of Education approved a balanced adjustment to school start and end times starting in the fall for the 2026-27 school year after months of community engagement and a detailed technical review with transportation experts. This decision reflects extensive feedback from families, students, staff, and community members, as well as careful analysis to ensure the changes are feasible and minimize disruption.
The approved plan makes moderate adjustments across the district while preserving the current tier structure and middle school dismissal times. The goal is to better support student learning and well-being, particularly for high school students, while remaining operationally sound for families. The changes apply to schools that are part of the MNPS school bus transportation system. Optional magnet schools, charter schools, and special day schools would not be changed under this model.
New start and end times for schools that are part of the normal tier schedule will be:
- High schools: 7:25 a.m. – 2:25 p.m.
- Elementary schools and Early Learning Centers: 8:10 a.m. – 3:10 p.m.
- Middle schools: 8:55 a.m. – 3:55 p.m.
These changes move high school start times 20 minutes later, shift elementary times by 10 minutes, and reduce the time between tiered start times from 55 minutes to 45 minutes. The adjustments are aligned with research on adolescent sleep, reflect community input, and can be implemented through targeted transportation updates without changing the number of tiers.
The Board’s decision follows a multi-phase School Start Time Study launched in fall 2025 in partnership with the Mayor’s Office and supported by external transportation and education experts. More than 23,000 responses were received across two districtwide surveys, along with feedback from focus groups, town halls, and school-based conversations conducted in multiple languages.
Following the Board’s approval, Nashville Public Schools will begin detailed implementation planning for the upcoming 2026-27 school year. There will be no start and end time changes during this school year. This work will include refining bus routes and schedules, coordinating with school leaders, and ensuring families have clear information well in advance of implementation. Additional updates will be shared as planning continues.
Thank you to all the families, students, and staff who took the time to participate in this process and share their perspectives. Your input helped shape a thoughtful path forward for our district.
For further information and future updates, please visit our school start times website.
Sincerely,
Nashville Public Schools