Florida lawmakers are planning a later start of school hours. That’s how late
TALLAHASSEE, Florida. “This is a scenario that is all too well known to many families.
Every morning, parents go out of their way to wake sleepy teens, drive them to the car or bus stop, and then hope they’re ready for the school day.
But with some strong backing, the Florida House panel on Thursday backed a proposal that high school and middle school start times would be more in line with the natural rhythms of teens.
A proposal (HB 733) sponsored by Rep. John Temple, R-Wildwood would prohibit public high schools from opening before 8:00 am and public high schools from opening before 8:30 am.
This change will have a major impact on high schools, with a state report saying 48% of public high schools start by 7:30 AM, another 19% start by 8:00 AM, and another 9% start by 8:30 AM.
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Temple pointed to research that shows teenagers need eight to nine hours of sleep each night and find it hard to fall asleep before 11 p.m. He said that later start times for many students would improve academic performance.
“I think about priorities. What is the focus? As educators, what should we do there? And it’s academics, it’s teaching and preparing them to be productive citizens. And what is the best way to prepare them for lifelong success?” said Temple, director of professional learning and accountability for the Sumter County School Board. “And adjusting that start time will definitely have a positive impact.”
But Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, raised another issue that many families also know all too well: how a later start time will affect parents who need to get their kids to school before going to work. She said addressing transportation issues will be critical to getting school to start later.
“Transport is a major problem that working families have to face. … It’s something that could potentially hurt our parents if we can’t do it right,” said Nixon, who has teenage children.
Proposals to increase the start time received support this week when Speaker of the House Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, backed the idea during a speech at the legislature’s opening session.
“Quality sleep is also critical to children’s learning and mental health, so we’ll be sticking with the right class start times as a free way to improve both academic grades and mental well-being,” Renner said in prepared comments.
The Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics also supported this proposal and praised Renner for her coverage of the issue.
“Recognizing the critical importance of adequate sleep for academic success, health and safety, he is taking significant steps to improve the lives of our children and teens,” Tresia Gambon, physician and president of the pediatric group, said in a prepared report. statement.
Temple’s bill gives school districts until July 1, 2026 the ability to set a later start time for classes. Senator Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, filed an identical bill (SB 1112) in the Senate.
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