Proposed Later End Time Detrimental to Students

A survey was sent out to all Campolindo students recently asking for input on the 2022-2023 school year schedule. Currently, 3 days of the week begin at 8:35am and 2 begin at 8:00- allowing all school days to end at 3:05, a reasonable time for students to be able to complete homework and have plenty of time for after school activities.

The survey began with the superintendent informing students that school days next year are required to start no earlier than 8:30am. Students continued through the survey, not thinking anything of this minor change, until we realized that this 30 minute delay in start time forces at least 2 school days to end at 3:30pm.

While a later start time may be appealing to students looking for a couple extra minutes of sleep, it is extremely detrimental to students’ after school schedules. Personally, we participate in after school activities that begin as early as 3:45. With the new bell sounding at 3:30, there will barely be enough time to drive to that activity, let alone get ready or have any time to complete homework.

With the school day consuming time after school, students are left utterly stressed, wondering if they will be able to make it to their extracurricular activities in time. While this may not be a concern for students whose activities are affiliated with Campolindo and take place on campus, it certainly is a valid concern for those who do outside activities. The already existing traffic on roads surrounding Campo coupled with this new later end time is a recipe for disaster, and likely ruins any chances for a student to make it to their activity on time.

Additionally, the reality is that, for many students, the time after school is much more valuable than the time before school. Pushing the start time back, and therefore the end time back as well, is under the assumption that all students are happy with extra time in the morning at the cost of losing time after school. This isn’t true for everyone. It’s pretty unlikely that a student would want to complete their homework in the morning rather than after school. With the school day now using up 30 minutes of a student’s after school time, that takes away time in the day able to be devoted to completing assignments.

The current 3:05 end time allows students to be able to complete homework by a reasonable hour, which enables them to go to bed at a reasonable time. With a later end time, students are more likely to be left scrambling for time after school to finish their assignments by the next school day.

Additionally, although the early start times aren’t always enjoyable for someone who isn’t a “morning person,” they set a structured schedule by which students must make adjustments to their bedtimes to follow. Since most students likely function best when they have around 7-10 hours of sleep, having an early start time encourages them to go to bed early, in order to meet their sleep requirement.

With a later start time, students are likely less motivated to go to bed early, since they know they will be able to make up for that lost sleep time in the morning. Without the requirement to wake up earlier and get enough sleep, students are likely to stay up even later into the night, which isn’t healthy or productive to their wellbeing. The early start and end times might not seem positive to students who dislike waking up early, but it ultimately enforces a better routine for students.

Furthermore, a better sleep routine has many, many benefits. It is proven that people who go to bed earlier sleep better, improving their focus and concentration the next day. With the earlier start and end times encouraging students to go to bed earlier, their attention will be improved during classes the next day. Waking up early has also been proven to increase productivity in individuals; kicking off their day in the right way. It also provides students with the opportunity to gather themselves before they leave for school, since they are not simply rolling out of bed to go to school. Of course, it is reasonable for students to want a late start on some days, but it is also important to recognize the disruption to some students’ schedules this causes.

While we obviously can’t change the state’s requirements about when school should start, it’s important to recognize the perspectives of students whose days are going to be greatly impacted by this 30 minute change. From the viewpoint of 2 students, we feel as though this minor change negatively impacts our everyday schedule, and although we can’t change it, it’s important to recognize the detrimental aspects of this new schedule.