Senatorers OK to lift the start of school later

Since the school districts express support throughout the state, the Florida senators began on Monday with a legislative template that cancel the requirements for later daily start times in many high schools.

The legislator approved the requirements in 2023 and quoted the need for older students to get more sleep. The requirements should come into force in 2026, but when the deadline approaches, the districts have announced that they are trying to fulfill themselves.

Bill sponsor Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said that the law of 2023 was “meant very well, and it was tried to ensure that our high school students were well rested.” According to the law, the High Schools could not start earlier than 8:30 a.m., and the middle schools could not start earlier than 8 a.m.

“So far, school districts have started their analysis of the effects of these necessary initial times for the school year 2026, and feedback is overwhelming: a state mandate of the start of school would be incredible challenges, financially and otherwise,” said Bradley before the Senate Education before the K-12 committee, the 5: 1 for the approval of the law (SB 296).

Bradley, who represents a extensive, largely rural area of ​​North Florida, said that many school districts have to buy buses and have to hire bus drivers to be found. She also said that the later early times could affect the students' participation in activities after school, the work plans of the parents and childcare.

Nationwide organizations that represent superintendents and school authorities together with numerous school districts expressed support for Bradleys on Monday.

Senator Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton, said she voted for the law of 2023 and likes the idea of ​​later early times for older children, but the school district of Palm Beach County told her that it would not be feasible to meet the requirements.

“You said it was simply impossible that you can fulfill this mandate,” said Berman.

Senator Don Gaetz, a nice Republican who is a former headmaster of Okaloosa County, made the only different vote on Monday.

While the law of 2023 also addressed the middle schools, it was primarily about high school. Randing on information from the Office for Program Policy and the responsibility of state accounting

It is said that the average start time for middle schools is 9:03 a.m. 8 percent start before 8 a.m.

While Bradley's draft law would revoke the requirements, the school districts would have to “take into account the advantages of a later school period in the introduction of start -up times of the middle school and the high school”.

The MP Anne Gerwig, R-Wellington, submitted a similar invoice in the house (HB 261). The annual legislative period begins on Tuesday.