Lawmakers May Nix Later High School Start-Time Rule
Florida’s Public High Schools May Not Start Later Than 8:30 a.m. After All
Starting Florida’s public high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. may be a plan that gets scrapped before it is ever implemented.
Two years ago, Florida approved the start time rule to begin in the 2026-27 school year, setting up a major shift for the state’s public high schools, which on average ring the first bell at 7:45 a.m. and even earlier on most Central Florida campuses.
A Senate Education Committee Approved Deleting the 2023 Rule in a 6-to-1 Vote
But now the Florida Legislature has plans to reverse the law it enacted two years ago. A Senate education committee approved deleting the 2023 rule in a 6-to-1 vote Monday afternoon.
Practical Realities Overruled the Earlier Law
The earlier law made sense, given numerous studies have shown students do better when high schools don’t start classes as early as they do in Florida, several senators said. But it ran into “practical realities,” mostly that it would be “cost prohibitive,” said Sen. Jennifer Bradley, a Clay County Republican who is sponsoring this year’s law.
Cost Prohibitive: Buses and Drivers
Most districts use the same buses for all their students, staggering start times for their elementary, middle, and high schools. If they pushed back high school start times, they’d have to buy many more school buses, an expensive proposition. Or they would have to start elementary schools earlier, in the current high school time slot, and that could mean young students waiting at bus stops “at 6 a.m. in the dark,” Bradley said.
Feedback from School Administrators
“The feedback is overwhelming,” she added, noting that most school administrators opposed the shift. Numerous school officials, including those from Orange and Seminole counties, filled out cards at Monday’s meeting indicating they approved of the new law (SB 296) that would axe the mandate for later high school start times.
A Senator’s Dilemma
“I did vote for the bill when it came through, and I do love the idea of having later start times for our older students,” said Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach. But members of the Palm Beach County School Board told her “it was just impossible for them to be able to meet this mandate,” she said. “I wish we could figure out a way to make it work.”
The Science is Clear
Researchers in Minnesota and Washington, among others, determined that pushing back high school start times to about 8:30 a.m. meant teenagers slept more, had better grades, test scores, and attendance rates, and got into fewer morning car crashes.
Conclusion
It seems that the plan to start Florida’s public high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. may be scrapped due to practical realities. The Florida Legislature has approved deleting the 2023 rule in a 6-to-1 vote, citing the cost of buying more school buses and hiring more drivers.
Frequently Asked Questions
* What is the new law?
The new law (SB 296) would axe the mandate for later high school start times.
* Why is the law being scrapped?
The law is being scrapped due to practical realities, including the cost of buying more school buses and hiring more drivers.
* What are the benefits of later high school start times?
Numerous studies have shown that pushing back high school start times to about 8:30 a.m. means teenagers sleep more, have better grades, test scores, and attendance rates, and get into fewer morning car crashes.
