Most students believe that school should start later than 9:00 a.m.

In a quick random survey of ten Morton East students, eight students said that school should start later; two said it shouldn’t.

According to ChatGPT, starting school later would help students get enough sleep and feel more active throughout the day.

In addition to increasing energy levels, starting school later could improve students’ mood, mental health, and academic performance.  Research supports this idea, showing that starting school after 9:00 a.m. better aligns with teenagers’ natural sleep cycles. During puberty, students’ sleep schedules shift later, meaning they need more rest in the morning. A later start time allows them to get the recommended 8.5–9.5 hours of sleep.  As a result, later school start times can reduce chronic sleep deprivation, leading to better mental health, higher grades, improved attendance, and fewer drowsy driving accidents. Overall, starting school later than 9:00 a.m. would benefit both students and teachers by creating a more productive and healthier learning environment.

Some students argue that a later start time would improve their energy and motivation.

“I just think school should start later than 9 a.m. so we can get enough sleep. We wouldn’t feel too tired to go to school or do work—we would be much more awake and active,” senior Cassandra Hernandez said.

Teachers have also noticed similar patterns in student behavior.

“When I taught early classes, I saw that students would sleep a lot. However, my later classes were more active and talkative. I believe that starting school later than 9 a.m. could greatly improve students’ schoolwork,” English teacher Mr. Joel Ruvalcaba said.