Saved by The Bell: Students and teachers contemplate later start times

Students and teachers alike have always wondered if student’s attitude and grades would improve with more sleep. The Senate thought that a new start time for middle and high schools would be an attempt to fix the problem.

The Senate Bill stated, “This bill would require the school day for middle schools and high schools, including those operated as charter schools, to begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics has done studies on teenagers emotions regarding sleep times, believing that Middle and High schools should start at 8:30. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that Teenagers get 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. Studies by the academy have shown that Teenagers who don’t get enough sleep, can be overweight, isolated from daily physical activities, depressed, and poor performers in academics.

“I think it would be a good idea because kids could get more sleep which would help them to focus and be more productive in class,” said junior Shannon Johnson.

Later school start would be beneficial to students who are involved in afterschool activities, so that they could stay up a little later and finish work, or wake up earlier and finish.  But, school would also end later, pushing back activities by about an hour.

The principle of Ripon high, Keith Rangel believes that students need more sleep, but that every school district has different needs with school times. Rangel doesn’t think that a time change will increase teenagers sleep.

“On Wednesdays, where we start almost at 9:00, that’s our number one tardy day, stated Rangel.

After talking to students, Rangel sees that students don’t sleep longer when they can, they just stay up later.  A late start won’t allow students to sleep longer, it will just allow them to wake up later.

“Each district has their own unique needs, and for the state to dictate a time may be difficult on some districts. If we start at 8:30, we won’t get out of school until about 3:45, pushing back activities,”stated principal Mr. Rangel.