The science is clear: it is unhealthy for adolescents to start school before 8:30am. The current GHS start time (7:40am) means bus pick-ups before 7am and wake-up times before 6am, the biological equivalent of asking an adult to get up at 3 or 4am. Teenage sleep deprivation has been shown to contribute to drowsy driving accidents, worse grades and test scores, and poor mental health. We must do better.
Smart Start Guilford was founded to advocate for data-driven changes to school start times, the most important systemic improvement we can make to our children's lives. At its May 11 meeting, the Guilford BOE committed to forming a task force to study this issue and make recommendations. Now is the time to rally community support for this initiative!
Click to learn more about Start School Later's Healthy Hours Connecticut Initiative.
The Healthy Hours CT Initiative is hosting a Zoom call at 7pm on Wednesday June 10. Register here to join. The call will cover:
The science of teen sleep and the need for later school start times
Ways you can advocate for change in Connecticut