Florida lawmakers move to delay school start time law for high schools

ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida lawmakers Wednesday moved forward with shielding school districts from a 2023 law aimed at later daily start times for high schools.

What we know:

Florida lawmakers have moved forward with a bill (HB 261) that would shield school districts from a 2023 law mandating later start times for high schools. The law, set to take effect in 2026, was intended to give high school students more sleep, but districts are struggling with compliance due to logistical issues like bus availability and child-care concerns.

What we don't know:

The bill's progress through the legislative process and its final passage remain uncertain. It’s unclear how districts will balance the challenges of meeting the law’s requirements or if further adjustments will be made before the 2026 deadline.

The backstory:

The 2023 law aimed to improve the sleep patterns of high school students by pushing back school start times. However, school districts have raised concerns about the financial and logistical challenges of implementing the new schedule, including the need for more buses, bus drivers, and the impact on extracurricular activities.

Big picture view:

Supporters of the bill argue that while the science behind later start times is sound, the logistics of implementing it in practice are problematic. Critics, however, feel that the law should be enforced to prioritize student well-being, despite the challenges faced by school districts.

Timeline:

The 2023 law is set to go into effect in 2026, but with the bill moving forward, changes to that deadline are now possible.

What they're saying:

"We all understand the science (of later start times for older students), and the science makes sense," Rep. Jeff Holcomb, R-Spring Hill, said. "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."

The bill would allow districts to avoid meeting the requirements.

"I would suggest, as a parent, that kids could get more sleep if they went to bed earlier," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Anne Gerwig, R-Wellington.

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