High School Start Time
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 86% of public schools start before 8:30 am, making it very difficult for teenagers to get the recommended minimum of eight hours of sleep. The average public school start time is 7:59 am (NCES), but many teachers, parents, and scientist believe that it would be more beneficial for high schools to have a later start time. Although there may be some initial issues with transportation and adapting to a new schedule, the health benefits and academic improvements caused by starting high school at a later time would be worth the switch.
There is a range of how much sleep is enough to perform at your best. Scientists have done studies to determine the range for different age groups and have concluded that teenagers “need between 9
…show more content…
However, there is a solution that would solve the problem and not have substantial additional costs. Generally, the teenage brain is not fully awake and engaged until between 9 and 10:00 am. A younger child (elementary age) is able to be awake and alert much earlier due to different chemicals and sleep schedules programed into our brains (Macmillan). If elementary school starting times and high school starting times switched, it would benefit high schoolers and not greatly impact elementary school kids. This would resolve the transportation conflict mentioned by those opposing a later start time.Transportation would have to be rearranged,which would be a hassle, but switching the two start times would not require school districts to get more busses than they already use now, which would mean it would not be a financial