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Later start times coming for Florida high schools. Money should follow.

Orlando Sentinel - 5/16/2023

Only about 10% of high schools in America start as early as those in Central Florida.

And for good reason: Because research clearly shows that asking adolescents to catch buses as early as 5:30 a.m. and start classes around 7:15 a.m. is bad for learning.

It’s not about indulging teens’ desires to sleep in or stay up late. It’s about acknowledging science.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Sleep Foundation and others all say teens’ hormone-infused brains keep whirring late at night and are slow to start early morning.

Put simply: Teenagers are different than the rest of us… as anyone who has ever housed one of these sometimes-moody creatures can attest.

Research shows that later start times lead to better grades, fewer absences and fewer car accidents — things everyone should want.

6 a.m. bus rides. 7:20 bells. Florida high schools operate in the dark ages | Commentary

That’s why I’m cheering lawmakers in Tallahassee (words I don’t write very often) for their recent vote to require every public high school in Florida to start at 8:30 a.m. or later and middle schools to start no earlier than 8.

In a state where politicians are too often focused on divisive culture wars, GOP lawmakers led the way in pushing for something that’s medically proven to be better for learning.

But now they need to finish the job. Before this law is slated to take effect in 2026, lawmakers need to back up their mandate with funding to make it happen.

Because you can’t just wish something into existence.

See, there are reasons why local school districts don’t start school when they know they should — because they don’t have enough buses or drivers. So they double-up and triple-up routes. A single driver and bus might run a high school route at 6:15, an elementary one at 7:30 and middle at 8:45.

That’s why Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, voted against forcing high schools to start later — because she viewed it as an unfunded mandate.

Thompson said Orange County school officials made it clear to her: “They will need to purchase additional buses and hire more drivers.”

She’s right. That’s just basic math. But I think the science of effective learning should prevail. You start with what you know should happen to achieve the best results, and then work from there.

And local school leaders know the way they do things now is rotten for learning. They’ve admitted it, discussed it, surveyed it and then twiddled their thumbs for years. It’s time to act.

Most legislators agree. The support for later high school start times (HB 733) was bipartisan, passing 38-2 in Senate and 92-20 in House.

Sen. Victor Torres was one of the Democrats who joined with Republicans to support the measure. Torres knows the issue better than most. After a career working as a cop in New York, he spent 10 years driving a school bus in Florida and remembers picking up high school kids that looked like zombies in the 5 o’clock hour, saying: “They just took their seats and sacked out.”

Torres shares Thompson’s concerns about money, noting that many people don’t appreciate the shortage of drivers, who must be certified and pass background checks. “We need more buses, and we need to compensate the drivers,” he said.

House Speaker Paul Renner, who pushed the later start times, got this issue half-right. He described the issue as “critical to children’s learning and mental health.” That’s true.

But Renner also described his legislation as “a zero-cost way to improve both academic scores and mental well-being.” That is absolute malarkey.

If buses and drivers are currently running multiple routes — something they can do with staggered start times — districts will obviously have to buy more buses and hire more drivers if the times overlap.

And let’s be clear: The money is there. Florida has been awash in tax dollars lately with lawmakers dreaming up pet projects to find ways to spend your money.

Yet legislators continue to treat public education like an embarrassing afterthought, spending less per-pupil than the vast majority of states.

If lawmakers can find $100 million for a state militia, they can certainly find money to support their otherwise-sensible plan to ensure students are learning the best way possible.

When school officials in Seattle listened to health experts and moved start times from 7:50 a.m. to 8:45 a few years ago, they immediately saw results as students posted better grades and racked up fewer absences and tardies.

Students in Florida deserve nothing less, especially when the money’s there to make it happen.

smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com

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