Secondary School Start Times

On February 6, 2005, the Fairfax County Council of PTAs issued the following position paper regarding later start times for Secondary Schools.

Based on the following facts:

• there are 79,000 middle school and high school students in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

• adolescents need an average of 9 hours of sleep per night, but get an average of 7 hours a night.

• the biological clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle shifts to a later sleep and wake time as children become adolescents. Melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep makes it difficult for teens to fall asleep before 11 PM and difficult to wake and be alert before 8 AM.

• high schools in Fairfax County start as early as 7:20 AM, with buses typically delivering students to FCPS high schools by 7 AM . this early start runs counter to adolescent sleep cycles, preventing adolescents from getting enough sleep and putting them in classrooms when they are not fully awake.

• sleep debt affects teens' ability to think, perform and react appropriately.

• sleep debt affects mood and behavior, particularly among teenagers, and contributes to depression.

• sleep debt can impair metabolism, disrupt hormone levels, and contribute to obesity.

• FCPS high school students get out shortly after 2 PM under the current schedule, and many are in unsupervised situations all afternoon, providing time and opportunity for risky behaviors.

• research shows many benefits from later secondary school start times, including: more average sleep per night; decreases in teen car accidents, teen depression, visits to the clinic and dropout rates; and improvements in attendance, behavior (during and after school), and grades.

• a 1998 FCPS Task Force concluded that "later high school and middle school bell times ... can produce results of benefit to the entire community."

• a later start time would enable adolescent students to get more sleep, so they can come to school awake and alert.

The Fairfax County Council of Parent Teacher Associations (FCCPTA) recognizes that there is compelling information that shows the many benefits to the health and well-being and academic performance of Fairfax County adolescents of changing high school and middle school start times to later in the morning.

The FCCPTA recognizes that a change in start time is bound to impact the budget, transportation, student safety, sports and other extra-curricular activities, academy classes, and other special programs for students.

We urge the Fairfax County School Board and School Superintendent to hire a transportation consultant to study this issue and we support any efforts to implement creative strategies that would facilitate a later start time for secondary students.