According to a new law that went into effect this school year, all public high schools in California must open no sooner than 8:30am. Personally, there are a number of reasons why I dislike the new timetable. First, because we finish school later, there is less time for homework and extracurricular pursuits like sports. Due to the fact that we have shorter practices and it is challenging to find time for all of the varsity and jv girls’ and boys’ teams to train, my teams have been impacted.

If you are in high school, you are out of luck because it has been stated that we will maintain this schedule for the following five years. According to a CalMatters article, they required later start times for teens because research suggests that their natural sleep-wake cycle differs from that of children and adults and that starting school too early will make it difficult for them to get a decent night’s sleep. What are your thoughts on beginning school later?