Citing “an increasing body of research” that suggests a later start time for high school students, Pennsbury High School has announced that starting from the 2025 school year, the day will begin at 8 a.m. instead of the current 7:20 a.m.
The goal of the change is to assist students in handling their mornings better, increasing alertness, and enhancing academic performance, according to Superintendent Thomas A. Smith. He mentioned that the district has been considering this change for multiple years.
Superintendent Smith stated, “This is due to an increasing body of research that raises concerns with a high school start time prior to 8 a.m. At 7:20 a.m., Pennsbury High School starts earlier than most schools in the area.”
The superintendent mentioned that start times at elementary schools will remain unchanged, but middle school times “will move up slightly.”
In the 17 months leading up to the high school's new start-time, the district will make adjustments to its transportation schedule, after-school activities, and overall high school schedule, according to Smith. Additionally, the district plans to hold informational sessions on the changes and “anticipated benefits,” he said.
Over the past several years, the Pennsbury School Start Time Committee has researched a potential time change and discovered “that mounting scientific evidence reveals that chronic adolescent sleep loss has become a public health issue.” The committee noted that the American Academy of Pediatricts, American Psychological Association, and the National Sleep Foundation “all recommend later school start times for adolescent students.”
Pennsbury's change comes at a time when other states, like California and Florida, are also adjusting their times.
