Introduction to the Issue
Florida’s brief attempt to let high school students sleep longer began two years ago when one of the state’s most powerful politicians listened to an audiobook. The book, “Why We Sleep,” argues that sufficient sleep is fundamental to nearly every aspect of human functioning. Paul Renner, then the Republican speaker of the state House, said reading it turned him into a “sleep evangelist”; he started tracking his own sleep and pressing the book on other lawmakers.
The Legislation
To give teenagers more time to rest, he pushed for a new law that would require public high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and middle schools no earlier than 8 a.m. In 2023, Florida became only the second state — after California, its political opposite — to adopt such a requirement, and it asked schools to comply by 2026. “School start times are one of those issues that both Republicans and Democrats can get behind,” Renner said in an interview.
The Repeal
This year, it all fell apart. Facing growing opposition from school administrators who said the later times were unworkable and costly, the Legislature repealed the requirement last month. Florida’s experiment was over before it began, an example of a policy driven by a single powerful lawmaker that flopped once he was termed out of office. It also illustrates how, even as concerns grow about the well-being of American teenagers, a modest scheduling shift with broad support from scientific and medical experts can struggle to gain traction.
The Impact on Students
Adelaide Sandwith recently finished her sophomore year at Fort Walton Beach High School in the Florida Panhandle, where classes begin at 7 a.m. The repeal means another two years of sleeping through her alarm at 5:20 a.m. “I’m basically a zombie,” she said of stumbling through her morning routine, typically after her mother has to shake her out of a deep sleep. “I’m not built for waking up so early.” Biological changes during adolescence keep many teenagers from falling asleep before 11 p.m., making it harder for them to get up early. Yet thousands of American high schools require students to wake up before they are sufficiently rested, despite scientific studies showing that later start times would benefit their mental and physical health and learning outcomes.
The Role of Schools in Promoting Sleep
Schools take an active role in making sure students receive nutritious meals and exercise, but most do not view it as their responsibility to help students get a good night’s rest. “It’s important that children get sleep,” said state Rep. Anne Gerwig, a Republican from Palm Beach County who cosponsored the repeal bill, “but the best way to accomplish that is for them to go to bed earlier the night before, and maybe not stay up playing video games.” Adolescents who are chronically sleep deprived are at greater risk of anxiety and mood disorders, motor vehicle accidents and poorer grades. The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Sleep Medicine and American Medical Association have all recommended that middle and high schools begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m.
Challenges in Implementing Later Start Times
But in Florida, only 24% of public high schools start that late, according to a survey conducted for the Legislature. Nearly half begin before 7:30 a.m. “It doesn’t matter if you tell kids they should get healthy sleep if you create a system in which they can’t,” said Terra Ziporyn, a science historian who founded Start School Later, an advocacy group. The Sandwith family had celebrated the 2023 legislation. “We’ll all get an extra hour of sleep,” Adelaide’s mother, Julia Sandwith, recalled thinking. Her son, a seventh grader, had been excited that the change would arrive before he started high school. “Now that they’re going to go back on that, it’s very disappointing,” she said.
Opposition and Repeal
When lawmakers debated the bill in 2023, some school administrators raised concerns about the logistics and cost. But the bill’s co-sponsor, state Sen. Danny Burgess, a Republican from north of Tampa, cited research showing that after Seattle’s schools pushed back start times by nearly an hour, students got 34 more minutes of sleep and earned significantly better grades. “Change can be hard,” he said before a final vote, but “what we are doing now is not what’s best for our kids.” The bill passed the House and Senate with large bipartisan majorities, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it in May 2023. Some Florida districts had already pushed back their middle and high school start times. In 2017, the Hillsborough County school district, which includes Tampa, changed its high school start times to 8:30 a.m. based on the preferences of parents, students and staff.
Local Decisions and National Trends
The Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teacher’s union, praised the passage of the repeal bill. “Decisions such as when schools start are best made at the local level,” it said in a statement. Andrew Spar, the union president, acknowledged that the science about the benefits of later start times was clear and that they had “worked out pretty good” in Volusia County, where he had taught and raised his daughter. But he said that local administrators and parents should decide such changes, district by district. That sentiment against top-down mandates appears to hold elsewhere. School districts around the country have delayed school start times, including in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Denver, but states have shown little appetite.
Conclusion
The repeal of Florida’s law requiring later start times for public schools is a setback for those advocating for better sleep habits among teenagers. Despite the scientific consensus on the benefits of later start times, the opposition from school administrators and the lack of resources to implement the change led to its demise. However, the issue is not going away, and lawmakers like Renner continue to push for change. As Renner said, “Kids are getting four, five, six hours of sleep. It’s not enough. If you care about their academic and mental health, you’ve got to figure it out.”
FAQs
- Q: What was the main reason for the repeal of the law requiring later start times for public schools in Florida?
A: The main reason for the repeal was the growing opposition from school administrators who said the later times were unworkable and costly. - Q: What is the recommended start time for middle and high schools according to scientific and medical experts?
A: The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and American Medical Association recommend that middle and high schools begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m. - Q: How many public high schools in Florida start at or later than 8:30 a.m.?
A: Only 24% of public high schools in Florida start at or later than 8:30 a.m. - Q: What are the potential benefits of later start times for students?
A: Later start times can lead to better mental and physical health, improved learning outcomes, and reduced risk of anxiety and mood disorders, motor vehicle accidents, and poorer grades.
