High School Should Not Start Later

LYLI DUONG Copy Editor

 AMANDA TANG Staff Writer

The recommended number of hours of sleep per night for high school students is eight to nine hours. Getting enough sleep helps ensure a healthy daily performance, allowing the brain to expand in growth and development. Partly due to many students not getting the required amount of sleep, a bill was signed on Sunday, Oct. 13 requiring high schools in California to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. by 2022. This means that classes here would start 45 minutes later than they do now. Even though some think this new bill may be beneficial to students, it would actually have many negative effects. Changing school start times is a mistake. It is easy for students to grasp the idea of pushing school starting times due to the fact that students think this will benefit them. What students do not always consider is the changes that must take place in order for this decision to fully be expanded in school districts. It is not simply the idea of starting school later but also what needs to be adjusted to fit this new schedule and how this plan can affect surrounding environments.

Later school start times will have a large effect on extracurricular activities. Many students participate in sports, clubs and other outside programs, which can all be affected by new school starting time. Starting school at 8:30 a.m. instead of 7:45 a.m., affects the release time after school as well. School will probably end at 3:26 p.m. instead of 2:41 p.m. This would decrease the time available for practices, games and other important events, but also could alter the time in which teens return from  activities, resulting in students returning home later. Another result would be causing additional havoc and stress for families. Parents who work early in the morning will now have to contemplate how they can drive their children to school because of the late start time, as well as worrying about getting themselves on time for work.

 The new time will result in sleeping in later than usual. After their already late school activities, students still need to do their homework. Teenagers may not have enough time or may simply not do the work; many of what students learned may be forgotten if they do it the next day. As a result, they may end up staying up late to learn the material over again. 

The start time will also affect students who have jobs. They will have to compromise with their bosses on when to work, which also might change the amount of sleep they receive.

 Overall, there are endless outcomes for the new start time. Although the change will not go into effect right away, it will take some time to get used to the new schedule. Brain development is vital especially in growing adolescents, but starting school later may only cause unnecessary stress for students and families.