Move High School Start Times Later? Here's What Bridgewater Says

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — New Jersey high school teens, including at Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, may get a couple of hours of extra sleep if the Legislature goes forward with a new bill that would move high school start times to no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

The new bill (A3816), sponsored by Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) and Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth), would go into effect at the start of the 2024-25 school year. The legislation would not impact elementary and middle school students.

Supporters of the bill say it is a response to the teen mental health crisis, which experts say was made worse by the pandemic. Read More: NJ High Schools Could Start At 8:30 A.M. If This New Bill Passes

Patch asked local residents whether it would be a good idea to have later start times for high school students. The responses were mixed among Bridgewater residents.

Here are some of the responses:

"Pushing back the start time roughly 75 minutes just means kids will stay up 75 minutes later. The homework, activities, sports, and socialization time are not going to decrease. So the only option is to stay up later to accomplish it all," said one reader.

"Yes absolutely. I graduated in 17 and my god I would've killed to have extra sleep. Waking up at 5:45/6 am to go to school from 12-18 years old was miserable," said another reader.

"Ask the kids. Mine would rather start early so he’s finished early. Later start times will mean later dismissal," said a reader.

"Yes. Mine and all his friends complain a lot about how hard it is to get up early. Teenagers natural melatonin kicks in later than adults so it’s harder to adapt," said a reader.

"Bad idea because additional bus costs, bus driver shortages already, kids sports, kids jobs, high school is to prepare for the future, time for homework, family time, etc" said a reader.

A new bill is looking to move high school start times to no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Do you think this would be a good idea for Bridgewater-Raritan Regional HS? Why or why not? Comment below, or join the conversation on the Bridgewater Patch Facebook page.

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