WHEELING – The Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce wants to know what its members think of the proposal that Ohio County Schools start and end each day a half hour later.

Last week, a committee studying school start times recommended the change to the Ohio County Board of Education.

Jennifer Materkoski, president of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, said the survey is intended to gather input from local employers about how the proposed change could affect their businesses.

“I think there are instances where the chamber should be getting feedback from our members,” she said. “As members of the business community, it is important for them to share their feedback if something is affecting them.

“Some members had expressed concerns about how a change in school start times could impact staffing. We thought it would be good to see if anyone else had feedback.”

The survey, emailed to chamber members Monday, asks questions including:

— Based on your understanding of the proposed schedule changes, how much impact would later school start times have on your business?

— Would later school start times affect your organization’s operating hours or staffing model?

— How difficult would it be for your organization to accommodate later start times for employees with school-aged children?

— To what degree do you believe later school start times would impact workforce participation among parents or guardians employed by your organization?

Responses will be collected through June 10, and the results will be shared with the Ohio County Board of Education.

“While much of the public discussion has focused on student outcomes, it is also important to understand the potential effects on working families, employers and the broader local economy. As an advocate for the business community, the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking feedback from Ohio County businesses regarding how these proposed changes could impact their organizations, employees and workforce participation,” Materkoski stated in the email.

“We recognize that any change to school schedules may bring both opportunities and challenges. Our goal is not to advocate for a particular outcome, but rather to gather input directly from employers so that the business community’s perspective is included in the conversation.”

Ohio County Board of Education President David Croft said he was uncertain what action the board may take regarding the proposal.

“I don’t know,” Croft said when asked about the board’s next step.

The board is scheduled to meet June 8, with further discussion of the issue expected at its June 22 meeting.

The June 22 meeting will be the final meeting for the current board. After July 1, board member Molly Aderholt, a supporter of later school start times, will leave the board after choosing not to seek re-election. Jerry Ames, president of the Ohio County School Service Personnel Association, will succeed her.