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The New Jersey State Legislature has introduced a bill that would require schools to open at 8:30 a.m. or later
Sleep studies show that teenagers go to bed later at night and are more likely to suffer from sadness and anxiety if they do not get enough sleep, according to state lawmakers.
If legislation filed last week has enough support, high school students in New Jersey might get an extra half-hour or more of sleep in the morning.
Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, and Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, chair of the Education Committee, introduced the bill, which seeks for a later start time for the school day to improve mental health and wellness among youth.
The measure stipulates that classes begin at 8:30 a.m. or later. Most state high schools currently begin classes between 7:20 and 7:40 a.m.
The New Jersey Education Association hasn't taken a formal position on the bill, but feels that measures that benefit kids are "certainly worth exploring and enacting," according to Steven Baker, a spokesperson for the teachers organization. Busing and start times for middle and elementary school pupils would have to be considered as part of the school structure adjustment, he said.
"Those transformations would not occur in a vacuum." "They'd have a ripple effect in a lot of areas," Baker added.
It's unclear whether this could be accomplished merely through legislation or whether contracts with school staff and transportation companies would be required.
