Should High School Start Later

“Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together,” (Thomas Dekker), but with most middle and high schools starting before 8:00 am, students aren’t getting the recommended hours of sleep they need to do well in school. School start times should be later for middle and high schoolers for the protection of students’ academic scores, the reduced risk of traffic accidents, and for the protection of student health, although people may argue that parent work schedules may have to change and that the bus schedule change may or will be costly. Middle and high schools should start later for the positive impacts they would have on students and their families.
First of all, the start times of middle and high schools should be later for the protection of students’ academic scores. Students who don’t get enough sleep get lower academic and standardized test scores. If students were to get more sleep, they would have increased scores and a better quality of life, (according to www.npr.org).

If students have lack of sleep, they may not pay attention to the roads and the drivers on the roads, which increases the risk of traffic accidents, (according to www.npr.org). The increased risk of traffic accidents may also be because of how dark it is outside when students have to walk over to the bus stop. It’s so early when kids’ buses come, that it’s usually dark outside, and drivers may not see kids walking.
The final reason why middle and high school start times should be later is for the protection of student health. Students who don’t get the required 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours of sleep each night become more vulnerable to depression and obesity, (according to www.npr.org). This can cause problems later in these students’ lives. Think about this; Why should students have to suffer just because school start times are too early? Would you want that to be your child in the