New Jersey may consider later school start for teens
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New Jersey’s Education Department might be asked to study the advantages and disadvantages of a later start time for middle and high schools.
A state Senate panel last week advanced legislation sponsored by Sen. Dick Codey calling for the review.
Starting classes at 8:30 or later would help make sure students are awake and ready to learn, said Codey, D-Essex.
“According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, teenagers need nine hours of sleep for proper neurological development.” he said. “It is biologically difficult for teenagers to fall asleep before 11 p.m. and wake up before 8 a.m.”
Changing school hours raises concerns about transportation and participation in interscholastic sports, said the New Jersey Association of School Administrators.
The association believes the start time should be up to each school district to determine.
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