MCPS Board and Superintendent, Please Wake Up to the Need for Healthier Secondary School Start Times!

Better student health. Better parent health. Better for schedules.

I strongly support a later start time!

Come awwwwnnn, just do it.

The science backs up the need for our kids to get more sleep, and it's a matter of physical and mental health. It's been talked about forever, and I really hope it finally becomes a reality.

YES please to later start time for high school!

It's time for MCPS to change to later start time. Our teens will be healthier and learn better if they get enough sleep.

There is no excuse for high school students to be going to school so early if we are truly putting kids first.

Current Board cares more about logistics than then mental health of students. Shameful.

MCPS needs to make this happen and quickly. The science is clear.

Please take the health and safety of our teens seriously. Start times for Middle and High Schools need to be moved back to promote the sleep necessary for healthy brains and bodies and greater academic success. All in MCPS will benefit from this important change. Please take action ASAP for the good of our children.

MCPS needs to make this happen. The science is clear and it's a matter of common sense. Please act on this immediately!

High School day should be 10am-4:30pm. Teenagers can get themselves up and out. And late activities are fine for this group and the teachers will adjust. Elementary should start at 7/7:30 - the little ones are up early anyway - every parent knows this. Drop off your kid, put them on the bus, and then circle back for a peaceful cup of coffee and get ready for work unbothered? Who wouldn't love that? All public schools should provide elementary child care until 6pm. Not activities. Free/low cost child care. Kids do homework/crafts, nap or play outside - think how well they'll sleep.

Kids Learn better when they are rested, especially teens. Make life easier for teachers, parents and students, do the right things and start later for high school.

I feel very strongly about teens not having to go to school this early. Their bodies are going through changes and middle school start time is too early and highs hook even worse. Please consider the health/biological implications of early school start time for teens. And please consider the health/biological benefits of later start times for teens. For above reasons, I strongly prefer start times of 9 and 9:30 for middle and high school teens. Please take this seriously into consideration for our growing teens, who we parents want to see thrive.

Please make the highschool starting time later! Thank you

The science speaks for itself. Wake up MCPS!

At this point, I think there's very little controversy in the research that teens enjoy massive benefits from later start times. From that perspective, there's no reason not to do it.

This is long overdue. For the sake of children, you must give this petition and what it requests the serious consideration and action it deserves. We are dedicated to improving student attendance, performance and most importantly, health by having later school start times. Thank you!

thanks for the articles in the petition, very helpful.

This only makes sense and is in the best interest of the older students