What if we started the school day later for high schoolers in Hawaii? Perhaps we’d see less traffic, fewer accidents, and more convenient pick up times as school day conclusion and (parental) work days would finish at a time closer together. Less time for latch key kids to “hang around.” Less trouble. And yes, we’d need big adjustments, too.
All of the above would be nice gains if the school day started an hour later. Plus, sharper students, more productivity, a better learning environment, and probably higher test scores. Anyone who has driven a child to school from afar can attest to the daily drudgery of getting a teen out of bed, fed (hopefully) and into the car. Drop off lines look line scenes out of “Zombieland,” as cars pull up, kids wake up, and then stumble into classrooms. Tardiness rules, teachers rue, and first period blues are rampant as many kids show up relatively dazed and confused. Talk about not being “woke!”
Oh, and this concept has been instituted in institutions… successfully. In 2016, Seattle schools moved public high school start times from 7:50am to 8:45am. According to NEA Today, kids were more engaged and alert, tardiness and absentee levels decreased, and final grades rose by about 5%. The opportunity for more shuteye helped to alleviate teenage chronic sleep deprivation (fatigue, depression, memory impairment).
As adolescents mature, internal circadian rhythms change. Melatonin (which helps us to sleep) in teens releases later at night than in adults. That’s why they’re wide-eyed at 9 or 10pm as you crash. It’s why Junior sags after getting just six hours of weeknight sleep. And the aforementioned Seattle project showed that the one-hour school day delay was productive, with needy teenagers getting more AM sleep time.
California just signed into place a law for 2022 that mandates that no public high schools (or charter schools) may start classes before 8:30am. More proof? The New York Times recently mentioned a Minnesota 2017 study which showed that after pushing start times later “…students who had more sleep reported better mental health outcomes and less use of substances like alcohol and cigarettes,” plus “…had improved attendance and enrollment rates, and they were less likely to drive while drowsy.” So maybe it’s time for Hawaii, home to horrible traffic and habitually sleepy kids (and parents) to say, “see you later” when it comes to start times at high schools.
Think about it…
This article was first published in the December 4, 2019 Midweek.