As researchers learn more about the importance of sleep, legislation pushes for later start times in middle schools and high schools.

The constant debate over school start times has been a popular subject on the Rocklin High campus. The debate continues as legislation passed last August would require schools to start after 8:30 beginning the 2021/2022 school year.

Last year, parents filled out a survey about pushing back the start time to after 8:00.The survey showed opposition and the school’s start time remained at 7:40. Parents felt a later start would cause an inconvenience due to work start times. Parents would be unable to get children to school and make it to work on time.

There was also concerns with after school extracurricular activities. Students felt that a later start time would interfere with after school activities and make it more difficult to balance academics, athletics and student life.

“Honestly, I don’t like when schools start later, because then students get released at a later time causing less time to do things outside of school such as homework, hangout with friends and family, sports, etc,” said freshman Madi Field.

Despite the criticisms, it is still popular opinion that a later start time would benefit a students health and academic well-being. Research has suggested the importance of sleep in the development of an adolescence.

“Sleep is food for the brain. During sleep, important body functions and brain activity occur . . . Sleepiness can make it hard to get along with your family and friends and hurt your scores on school exams, on the court or on the field,” according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Many teenagers find that it’s very difficult to fall asleep early and get an adequate amount of sleep when they have to wake up so early to be at school.

“Biological sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking during adolescence — meaning it is natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11:00 PM” National Sleep Foundation writes.

Whether or not California enforces the new legislation will be up to Jerry Brown. If the legislation does get approved Rocklin High School would have to start at 8:30 beginning in July 2021.

Rocklin freshman would most likely be the only class to see the new effects take place. Whether or not you see them as lucky or not, later start times would create a huge change at Rocklin.