SLEEP: Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal for Fairfax County VA Schools

On October 23, 2014, with strong consensus from the community, the School Board voted to implement a new schedule, which is a significant improvement over the previous high school bell times of 7:20 a.m. The School Board indicated a desire to continue working to improve middle school start times.

TALKING POINTS TO SHARE to ensure that friends and neighbors understand the benefits:

Results for students with later school start times:

Fewer teen car crashes
Less depression and a decreased need for medications to treat depression
Decreased drop-out rates and improved attendance
Fewer behavior problems or disciplinary referrals (interruptions to instruction)
High school students gain sleep - gains are commensurate with the shift in start times
Students are less likely to fall asleep in class or while doing homework and the school day better coincides with a time of day when students are awake and alert and prepared to learn
More sleep means better sports performance and fewer sports injuries
The return on investment is worthwhile: Brookings Institutution economists report that improved performance resulting from later start times is equivalent to two extra months in school and estimated that the benefits to cost ratio is 9:1.

Thank you so much for your support for later start times!