Students in California’s middle and high schools will be allowed to get a few more hours of sleep starting in the 2022–23 school year thanks to a new state legislation.
The new law takes effect on July 1 and resolves complaints that courses begin too early, preventing pupils from getting proper sleep. According to California legislation information, the duration of the school day must be set by the governing board of each school district.
Beginning on the first of July, middle schools, even those that are run as charter schools, are not permitted to begin the school day earlier than 8:00 a.m. Additionally, most high school campuses can’t begin until 8:30 a.m.
When it comes to California high school start times, the average is 8:04 a.m. today, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. A typical California middle school’s bells sound at 8:11 a.m. Public schools in Northern California face additional scheduling challenges due to the implementation of the new laws. Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, for example, used to begin school at 7:25 a.m. until altering its timetables almost two years ago.
According to US Centers for Disease Control standards, Senate Bill 328 recommends schools start no earlier than 8:30 am so that pupils come alert and ready to study at the start of the school day.
The bill exempts rural districts and private schools, but the new restrictions will impact all other children, families, and school employees beginning in the 2022–23 school year.
