Starting Time In High School

RECHS students do not have to worry about what it is like to have school start at 8 a.m. here in Rockingham County. Other high schools, such as Rockingham High School, do start at 8 a.m. so they can mostly relate to the struggle of being sleep deprived and driving to school and trying to stay awake after a night spent studying or doing homework. That is why high schools in America should adjust the start schedule to improve their students’ health, safety, and academic scores. Having the start time of schools rescheduled to a later time can positively affect students’ health. In a study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics, only 13% of teenagers in high school are able to get the recommended hours of sleep of 8.5 to 9.5 (643). When students get more sleep they are not in a rush to get ready and catch the bus or get in their vehicle. When well rested students are in a better mood and have enough time to make or eat a balanced breakfast. The American Academy of Pediatrics also suggested that well-nourished students are less likely to have visits to the school nurse, due to the fact that the nutrients help strengthen the immune system (645). Students will also gain mental benefits with the increase in sleep time. For example, …show more content…
When schools start later in the morning, like 8:40 a.m. for example, overall attendance of students increase and tardies decrease because students have enough time to do schoolwork, work, socialize, and sleep properly. Kyla L. Wahlstrom and the research team also added that with students who attend schools with later start times understand and complete assignments and or tests easier than students who stay up all night studying and waking up early (6). Jan Hoffman also stated that scores of some school districts that switched to a later start time saw a noteworthy improvement in ACT scores