California state saves teen sleep with later school start times

When thousands of Samo students pour onto campus at 8:15 a.m., they often lack crucial hours of sleep that would have prepared them for the seven hour school day ahead. This issue has recently been recognized by state officials who have decided to take action by pushing school start times back with the goal of ensuring that students are performing to their best ability when at school. On Oct. 20, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law banning most public high schools in California from ringing the first bell before 8:30 a.m., with Samo included as one of these schools. Although this is to be implemented beginning 2022, SMMUSD board members have already begun thinking about what the new schedule will look like. According to Dr. Antonio Shelton, the change for SMMUSD middle and high schools will likely be insignificant. “I don’t think it’s going to change much of anything.15 minutes is what we are talking about [for SMMUSD],” Shelton said. Many students throughout California will likely benefit from the new schedule schools will create. This is with the exception of certain rural communities, who will be permitted to keep their current schedules due to travel and distance circumstances. Newsom has expressed that the main reason behind this mandatory schedule shift is to provide students with the opportunity for more sleep. Several schools across the nation have already made the switch, with results showing improvement in grades, attendance rates and attitudes of the students. Charles Thun, Samo’s AP psychology teacher, recognizes the pros of this new law and how it may benefit the Samo community.  “I think the main benefits health-wise would include feeling less fatigue, improvements in concentration, less illness as sleep deprivation impairs the function of your immune system, and even lower rates of obesity as sleep deprivation has been linked to hormonal imbalances that make a person more likely to overeat,” Thun said. Many students utilize optional early morning classes, otherwise known as “a.m. periods,” to allow them to add an extra course to their schedules, or to replace a sixth period in order to leave campus early. Without this class period, students might be unable to fit the activities they enjoy into their agenda. However, the law noted that these periods will still be allowed to take place before the designated start time, but will likely start later with the rest of the class periods.  A more select portion of California’s high schoolers could be affected as well—student athletes. It is not uncommon for students to participate in a sport through their school. Coaches will have no choice but to move practice times in order to accommodate the new schedule, potentially forcing athletes to return home later with less time for homework. Transportation is yet another obstacle in the implementation of the new law. This change has the potential to interrupt routines for many households. For parents that commute to work, it will likely be harder for them to get their children as well as themselves to work, school and/or daycare on time. This change has the potential to pose many new challenges when it comes to scheduling. However, despite the few concerns the Samo community has about the new law, the hope is that later start times will allow students to be rested enough to put forth their best effort when at school.