PTSA stand for later start times for high school students (last update June 2021)

 

The Shorewood PTSA is advocating for later start times for high school students.  Our work is directed by the WA state PTA resolution 11.21 Alignment of Sleep Requirements for Optimum Health With School Start Times.  

 

What science tells us:  

• The hormonal effects upon teenagers’ circadian rhythms (the natural sleep/wake cycles) prevent many from falling asleep until 11 p.m. or later.  

• Teens still require an average of nine hours of sleep per day in order to maintain quality of life.

• Sufficient sleep may help our teens to manage any feelings of anxiety, depression and stress more readily than if they are sleep-deprived. (This is true for any individual.)

• In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) put forth a policy statement which directed middle schools and high schools to begin school no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

 

In May 2021, we sent a letter to the Shoreline School Board requesting they look into the research behind and the change of school start times.  In June 2021, the district published new start times for all Shoreline schools but with no change for the high schools. After a follow-up letter to the school board on 6/21/21, along with additional community support, we now understand that the district will address later start times initially through a school board study session(s). (We'll update this webpage as we follow the district’s progress.)

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What is our goal(s):

• We respectfully ask the district administration to create a task force or committee to fully engage stakeholder input regarding the impact of later start times in Shoreline.

• We anticipate that the research and stakeholder dialogue may ultimately support the implementation of later start times by the 2022-23 academic year.

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A copy of our May 17th letter to the school board is here. 

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A copy of our June 21st letter to the school board is here.  

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RESOURCES

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New Scientist, First direct evidence that later school day really does help teenagers

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The 74, Amid Surge in Stress During Pandemic, Sleep the ‘Magic Pill’ to Restoring Teens’ Mental Health, Experts Say

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CDC, Schools start too early

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Sleep Foundation, How Would Later School Start Times Affect Sleep?

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP News and Journals), School Start Times for Adolescents

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