‘Mad or nah?’: Philly residents react to school district’s earlier bell time plan

Should the school day begin earlier than usual?

It’s a question that parents and communities are debating after the School District of Philadelphia posted on its website a schedule of new start times for dozens of schools.

For many middle and high schools, the district proposes a bell time of 7:30 a.m., despite guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommend that middle and high school students begin classes at 8:30 a.m. or later.

Tamara Russell, aka P.O.C., hit the streets of Philadelphia to hear how residents are reacting to the school district’s proposed new bell times.