Framingham High School Start Time Will Be Later This Fall

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham high schoolers will get to sleep a little later when school starts on Sept. 16.

The school district is pushing back the high school start time from 7:25 a.m. to 9 a.m. Students will begin the school year fully online, with a possible transition to a hybrid learning model by late October.

But, students will return to the usual start time when the hybrid model starts, according to district officials.

"We regard this as a monumental decision and recognize the public’s urgency to make this a permanent shift at FHS," a letter sent to parents on Thursday reads. "We will use this opportunity to gather data for consideration for the future. Yet due to the complexity and considerations for other district schedules, and further public input, we do not foresee a viable option of continuing this late start time when the school shifts to the hybrid model during the 2020-2021 school year."

The later start time is actually backed by medical research. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that middle and high school students begin the school day after 8:30 a.m.

"During puberty, adolescents become sleepy later at night and need to sleep later in the morning as a result in shifts in biological rhythms," the Centers for Disease Control said in a recent briefing about school start times. "The combination of late bedtimes and early school start times results in most adolescents not getting enough sleep."

Even with a later start time, students will get a full day of school. The day will end at 3:25 p.m. instead of the usual 2 p.m. dismissal.