Across the United States, the situation of the first school bell ringing at 7:30 a.m. is gradually decreasing.
Even though Florida’s law mandating schools to delay start times has been repealed, it has been replaced by a policy allowing school districts to set their own times. Some middle and high schools in the state are still welcoming the 2026-27 school year with later start times.
In California, a state law that took effect in 2023 stipulates that middle schools cannot start before 8:00 a.m. and high schools cannot start before 8:30 a.m.
The “Start School Later” Alliance, composed of sleep scientists, educators, and medical professionals, stated that another 11 states are also considering similar legislation. These bills may advance before the start of the next school year, including states such as Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut.
Some school districts have not waited for state mandates. Places like Denver, Nashville, Clark County in Nevada, and Fairport in New York have recently adjusted the school start times for K-12 students by 30 to 60 minutes based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, “during adolescence, there are changes in the body’s internal circadian rhythm and physiological sleep needs, leading to delayed sleep and wake times. Therefore, starting middle and high school too early compresses sleep time, weakens students’ readiness to learn, has negative impacts on physical and mental health, and reduces driving safety. Additionally, there is a growing body of evidence showing that delaying school start times contributes to improving students’ academic performance, health, and safety.”
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2025 indicated that only 23% of high school students get the recommended minimum of 8 hours of sleep on school nights.
According to data from the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), in 2012, Glens Falls High School in upstate New York changed its start time from 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Within six years, school officials reported significant improvement in student academic performance, with a 30% increase in students arriving on time.
Delaying school start times does bring some challenges: the unions representing teachers, bus drivers, and other school staff may lean towards earlier schedules. Parents may struggle to adjust work hours to accommodate picking up their children, and later school dismissal times may disrupt family routines or previously arranged after-school activities.
However, Maribel Ibrahim, co-founder and executive director of the “Start School Later” Alliance, stated that schools have been able to address all these concerns through a series of programs, meeting the needs of both families and school staff without significantly increasing expenditures.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were able to “pivot quickly” to remote learning and, when reopening several months later, adopt later start times.
“When it’s a necessary medical measure, we find a way to do it,” Ibrahim told The Epoch Times, “We also need to give equal importance to sleep.”