Key groups oppose Gov. Newsom’s signing of the bill delaying start times for adolescents and teens…
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Sunday that will mandate a later morning start for most middle and high schools, choosing to side with pediatricians and the PTA rather than the state’s leading teacher union and groups representing school boards and superintendents. When it goes into effect in 2022-23, the law will require middle schools to begin no earlier than 8 am and high schools to start regular classes after 8:30 am.
The bill’s author said California will now become the first state to require later start times in response to medical research that shows most teens are sleep deprived as a result of changes to their biological clocks that prevent them from going to sleep early. Expressing disappointment, the California School Boards Association said the mandate “fails to respect parental decisions or consider the needs of local communities.”
