Florida lawmakers moved forward Wednesday with a plan to give school districts flexibility in complying with a 2023 law requiring later daily start times for high schools.
The House Education Administration Subcommittee unanimously approved HB 261, a bill sponsored by Rep. Anne Gerwig (R-Wellington), that would allow school districts to bypass the mandate if they submit reports detailing why they cannot meet the requirement and outlining potential strategies they have considered.
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The 2023 law, which is set to take effect in 2026, prohibits high schools from starting earlier than 8:30 a.m. and middle schools from starting earlier than 8 a.m. The measure was passed with strong support from sleep researchers and medical experts, who argue that later start times improve student health and academic performance. However, school districts have warned of logistical challenges, including bus shortages, scheduling conflicts, and childcare complications.
Supporters of the 2023 law maintain that later school start times benefit students, but many lawmakers now acknowledge the difficulties school districts face in implementing the changes.
“We all understand the science (of later start times for older students), and the science makes sense,” said Rep. Jeff Holcomb (R-Spring Hill) during Wednesday’s hearing. “But it’s a logistics nightmare. At the end of the day, are we going to send our elementary school students to school at 7 a.m.? There really isn’t a good answer.”
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Some districts have warned that to comply with the later high school start times, they would have to move elementary school schedules earlier—a shift that could disrupt working parents’ schedules and complicate childcare arrangements.
Rep. Anne Gerwig, who is sponsoring HB 261, suggested that students should take personal responsibility for getting enough sleep.
“I would suggest, as a parent, that kids could get more sleep if they went to bed earlier,” Gerwig said.
Many Florida school districts say they are struggling to meet the law’s requirements, citing several key obstacles:
- Bus availability: Schools may need to purchase additional buses and hire more drivers, a costly and difficult process amid a statewide bus driver shortage.
- After-school activities: Later dismissal times could impact sports practices, club meetings, and part-time jobs, leading to concerns about student participation in extracurricular activities.
- Parental work schedules: Parents who rely on older siblings to pick up younger students may be forced to adjust their work schedules or find alternative childcare options.
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A similar bill in the Senate (SB 296), which would also offer school districts a way to avoid the mandate, is scheduled to be heard Thursday by the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee.
If the legislation moves forward, school districts could be granted greater flexibility in adjusting start times based on their specific transportation and scheduling challenges.
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