opinion
STAFF-ED TWO VIEWS: Florida schools sn A recent bill signed by Gov. levels statewide, leaving many
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Written by staff writer sabela Duarte. his article re ects the o inion of the highlights 2023-2024 staff.
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TARTING SCHOOL exceptionally early has always been a complaint among students, motivated by the combination of late nights caused by schoolwork and early mornings needed to get to school on time. House Bill 733, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, requires schools statewide to delay their schedules, with high schools beginning no earlier than 8:30 a.m starting June 2026. These changes are bound to
positively affect students’ learning environments and schedules by giving them more rest time and opportunities to find a healthy balance in their lives. “Starting school later will help lessen the stress as most students are sleep deprived as it is, so this will help us find a balance,” sophomore Eliem Salazar said. To retain information provided by teachers during students’ early morning classes, being alert is crucial. If students are not properly rested and have lingering feelings of tiredness from rising early, their academic performance is bound to be affected. Data from the National Sleep Foundation indicates that later school start times can lead to increased alertness during morning classes, resulting in higher academic engagement. “Because school starts so early, I have to wake up really early, and even then, I don’t feel like it is enough time to finish my morning tasks,” junior Jade Peréz said. In addition, one out of three students report that they do not have breakfast before school, according to BioMed Central. Students often feel nauseous early in the morning, which prevents them from having breakfast, a vital factor in boosting energy and increasing awareness which results in improved involvement during classes. Moreover, starting school early in the morning puts students that face
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I find myself not sleeping enough because of my workload. A later start would give me more sleep.
Ana Rojas, freshman 12 opinion
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long commute t i m e s from their homes at a disadvantage. Research conducted in 2021 at the University of Minnesota found that delaying school start times resulted in decreasing tardiness. With later start times, these students will be able to have an extra hour to rest for the school day ahead and will be less likely to arrive late. Natural sleep patterns in humans, or circadian rhythms, impact general health and students’ academic performance. Teenagers typically experience a shift in their circadian rhythms that makes them feel more aware and awake later in the day. According to the journal Sleep Medicine, teenagers naturally feel more alert in the evening and have a harder time falling asleep early at night. “Many studies show adolescents learn better later in the day, and that is what this bill is based on,” Student Services Department Chair Beatrice Pedroso said. The overall well-being and educational needs of students will improve greatly as this is implemented for reasons such as increased awareness, better attitude and creating superior learning conditions. This change points to significantly enhancing different aspects that have presented issues in the past. h
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Later start times would make my days easier as they would increase the time I have to do other things and rest.
Natalia Pacheco, sophomore
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Design by Ava Volman/highlights
