More Sleep On Tap For Lake Elsinore USD Middle, High School Kids

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A California bill designed to help middle and high school students get a little more sleep by pushing back their school start times will be felt in the Lake Elsinore Unified School District next year.

Senate Bill 328, signed into law in October 2019, requires middle schools and high schools, including charter schools, to begin no earlier than 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., respectively.

The LEUSD had until July 1, 2022, to make the change, according to the law.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advocated for SB-328's passage. In a September 2019 letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, the AASM said that during puberty a natural shift occurs in the timing of the body’s internal circadian clock, causing most teens to experience a biological drive for a late-night bedtime.

The change can make it difficult for teens to get the necessary 8 to 10 hours of nightly sleep, according to the AASM.

"Simply going to bed earlier is not a realistic option for most teens," the AASM said. "As a result, nearly 73 percent of high school students report getting fewer than 8 hours of sleep on an average school night, increasing their risk of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and motor vehicle accidents."

The current bell schedule is between 7:30 a.m. and 7:40 a.m. at LEUSD middle schools, and 7:30 a.m. at the three traditional LEUSD high schools.

In a note last week to LEUSD families, the district acknowledged that the revised schedule may pose a challenge for working parents. According to the district, extended programming outside of the traditional school day may be offered although details were not released.

SB-328 was authored by State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D - La Cañada Flintridge). When Newsom signed the bill into law, Portantino said California was the first state in the country to mandate the later start times for high schools and middle schools.

Then Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D - San Diego) praised the law.

"It is rare you get to enact policy that will have such an immediate benefit, which makes this even more important," he said. "As soon as schools start later, our children and families will be healthier and happier."

Gloria now serves as Mayor of San Diego.

Melissa Melendez was the assembly member representing Lake Elsinore at the time SB-328 came up for a vote; she gave it a thumbs down. The Republican lawmaker now serves as State Senator for the 28th District, which includes Lake Elsinore.

Melendez was preceded in the State Senate by Republican Jeff Stone, who also voted against SB-328. Stone stepped down from the Senate in late 2019 after being nominated Western Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor by then President Donald Trump.