HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – It’s scientifically accepted that adolescents need more sleep, and when they don’t get it, test scores and mental health suffer.
A few lines in the Pennsylvania state budget now allow for schools to use state money to explore pushing back high school start times.
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Thus far, very few school districts are likely to take advantage of this, despite a 2019 joint state government commission report titled “Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents: The Case for Delaying Secondary School Start Times.”
“I think it’s smart and makes sense from a biological perspective,” said Dr. John Levri, a sleep specialist at UPMC.
Dr. Levri says eating, exercising, and sleeping are the most important factors of health.
“I might be a bit biased, but I think sleep actually has maybe the most important role of all of those because it impacts every single organ system every single day,” he added.
The opening line of the commission’s sleep report calls a lack of sleep for students “a public health crisis of epidemic proportions.”
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Dr. Levri says studies show that students’ academics and mental health improve when start times are pushed back.
“It was across the board in every area that was looked at,” he said. “There were profound improvements that I think are worth the hassle of going through this process.”
There are hurdles and hassles for schools to implement a later first bell. Student athletes would miss classes, younger students would wait for buses in the dark, and parents could require new daycare and work arrangements.
“There is a lot to do with transportation, and we know that over the past few years, finding bus drivers is sometimes a difficult thing to do,” says Dr. Marcia Stokes, the Chief Financial Officer of the Harrisburg School District. “So if you’re looking at expanding the number of drivers you need and then also expanding the number of vehicles you need, there’s a lot more that goes into the logistical decision than just being able to say, yes, we agree a later start time is best.”
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Only a handful of school districts have already pushed back start times, and a majority will not. One school official told abc27 that it would be a logistical nightmare and the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
“The juices are worth the squeeze,” emphasized Dr. Levri. “I think maybe if they were familiar with some of the medical literature that showed the profoundly good outcomes from making this change, then that might change your mind.”
Parents won’t be blindsided by potential changes to start times. According to the school code, the district would have to post the change, then have two public comment periods at official school board meetings.
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