Opinions varied when California families and educators learned that legislators would pass a bill, requiring high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. for middle schools beginning Aug. 2022.

Students and staff alike expressed their concerns about the change when it was first announced. Head custodian, Mario Velez, was concerned when he first heard about the change, concerned about how it would affect his job but thankfully he has not seen a huge effect.

“I called the union when I first heard, I wanted to know if this was something I would need to worry about,” Velez said. “But it did not affect us too much, I liked it better before but it is nothing I can not deal with.” 

Despite the later start’s intentions, not all students are able to benefit from it. The bus schedules for VUSD are not able to change most of their routes and pick up times due to the conflicting timelines with  most middle and elementary schools. As a direct result, high schoolers are still picked up  no later than 6:45 a.m.

“I like the later start time for high school students, there is a lot of research behind students needing additional sleep during their teen years,” Principal Audrey Asplund said. “[but this] defeats the whole purpose of [it].”

While Asplund had shared her concerns to the district, there are still no plans to change the bus times. The most likely reason it is not treated as a pressing matter is that high schoolers are older and more capable of taking care of themselves. 

Despite school starting later in the day, it is just as long and has everyone getting out even later. According to Aspunld, there is a possibility of having a block schedule in the future, which will depend on the overall votes of the staff and can take up to four months for the decision to go into effect. 

“I do not think there is enough time in the day for teenagers to do all we ask of them, so I am for it,” science department teacher Michael Yorke said.

Despite the challenges that have come with this new start time it has still greatly affected students and staff. The extra half an hour to get ready and sleep in has caused students to be more present in the classroom.  While there is no date to see if there has been progress in grades or attendance the response from students have backed the research up.

Due to teens going through a second development stage of cognitive maturation it is important for them to get nine or nine and half hours of sleep. And luckily, the later start time has helped most. Not everyone is able to feel the effects of getting that extra half hour just yet but those who do have noticed a difference. 

“I feel more ready and energized for the day,” freshman Alyssa Angeles said.