Lethargy on later school start times

Lethargy on later school start times

The Jan. 5 front-page article on delaying school start times for teens, "More sleep, better students?" reveals the usual lethargy among school administrators in effecting change.

One school district has included the question as part of a broader plan that will be completed three years from now. A U-46 assistant superintendent is quoted as saying there is still not enough information to support moving high school start times to 8:30 a.m. or later.

News flash! The evidence is in. Teens have different biological sleep cycles than other age cohorts. And, a February 2014 multisite study by the University of Minnesota's Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement finds improved test scores, fewer driving accidents and better emotional health among the more than 9,000 students studied in school districts that have instituted later start times for high schools.

Making the shift to later start times does face some hurdles. The Daily Herald article mentions bus schedules. There are also after-school activities to consider, e.g., sports, student employment and child care. But for each hurdle there are solutions. Administrators carefully managed the transition in other school districts by first educating parents and boards of education about the benefits and then involving all elements of the school community in planning.

Other factors also influence adolescent sleep patterns, and these must be controlled to maximize the positive impact of later school start times. To name but three, excessive socialization via the Internet and cellphones, television in bedrooms, and overconsumption of caffeine all disrupt healthy sleep patterns.

Let's hope our school boards and administrators can wake up and institute some positive change.

Michael A. Rugh

Woodstock