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It’s finally summer.
Can I get an “amen” from all the parents and guardians of school-age children out there who no longer have to get up before sunrise to get all the things done that need to be done before getting their kids’ days started?
I see you.
I am you.
And I’m devoting this column to a request I hope will resonate with families and policymakers: Please, please, please start schools later—at least for older students.
Earlier this year, Florida enacted a law that will prevent middle schools from starting before 8 a.m. High schools won’t be allowed to start before 8:30 a.m. They’re giving schools until the 2026 academic year to make those changes.
In 2019, California became the first state to mandate delayed school start times using the same schedule. The law took effect this school year, which hopefully means they’ll have initial parent and student satisfaction data available in the coming months.
Later start times are backed by science. The American Academy of Pediatrics has called insufficient sleep in adolescents a public health concern. It recommends middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. The average start time for public high schools nationwide is 8 a.m.
A study by the National Sleep Foundation found that both attendance and graduation rates “significantly improved” in schools that delayed their start times to 8:30 a.m. or later.
Shifting to later start times isn’t just good for the kids; it’s good for grownups, too.
A 2022 National Jewish Health study of a school district near Denver found that parents of adolescents got more sleep when middle and high schools start about an hour later; the sleep habits of parents of younger children were unaffected by earlier elementary school start times.
While the pandemic changed how many of us work remotely versus in an office, that work for the most part still takes place during traditional working hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ending school at 2:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. either causes a midday interruption for parents or forces them to pay extra for after-school care or to seek support from friends and neighbors.
While I’ve read that later start times can create transportation problems for large districts that rely on busing, I have to wonder if teachers, especially those who also are parents, might appreciate not having to rise before dawn to start their jobs.
I work in education policy, but I have no professional dog in this hunt other than the sheer joy of knowing that, for the next two months, while our kids—one middle-schooler, one high-schooler—are out of school, I get to sleep a little longer in the morning, which I’m fairly certain makes everyone in the house happier.•
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Chartier is a lifelong Indianapolis resident and owner of Mass Ave Public Relations. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.
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