The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Will more zzz's boost A's and B's?
Schools adopt later start times, which experts say builds better students
New school year, new start times. Several Inland Empire school districts have pushed back the start of the school day for secondary students this 2022-23 academic year to comply with a state law signed three years ago requiring public middle and high schools to begin their mornings later.
While the law became effective July1, some districts, such as Redlands Unified and Fontana Unified, instituted the change a year ago.
Others, such as San Bernardino City Unified, have another 12 months to follow suit.
But many large districts in the area adjusted their bell schedules this month, a fundamental change to the school day that impacts thousands of students, parents, teachers, administrators and district employees.
“This will have a positive impact,” said Armando Urteaga, principal at Kolb Middle School in Rialto.
The push to delay the start of the school day in California began a handful of years ago with the introduction of Senate Bill328, which cited recommendations from medical experts who said an 8:30 a.m. or later start improves academic success and reduces risky behavior among teenagers.
The move would give teens more time to sleep and have breakfast, supporters said. And, attendance would see a boost as rested students would be less inclined to skip class.
Opponents, meanwhile, contended contracts with employee groups would be impacted, as would school districts' complex transportation schedules and parents' tried-and-true morning and afternoon routines.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the firstof-its-kind bill in 2019, paving the way for middle schools to begin no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. in the 2022-23 academic year. Under the bill, some districts can push back implementation of the rules until existing collective bargaining contracts expire.
In a statement at the time, bill author Sen. Anthony Portantino,
D-san Fernando, said Newsom “exercised strong leadership as he put our children's health and welfare ahead of institutional bureaucracy resistant to change.”
“Generations of children will come to appreciate this historic day,” Portantino said.
Janet and Jorel Ledezma dropped two of their three children off at Ramona High School an hour before their new 8:30 a.m. start Monday, the first day of school for the Riverside Unified School District.
One of her children, 11th-grader Ricardo, an early bird and volleyball player, was not excited about the later start to his day, but the rest of the family doesn't mind, Janet Ledezma said.
“We usually drop off the kids early,” Janet Ledezma said, adding that the later start will give her kids more time to “rest up a little before school,” even as they take an extra elective class, or zero-period class, which starts earlier than first period.
After dropping her freshman daughter and senior niece off at Ramona on Monday, Anel Sanchez said the new start time “is good for kids to have breakfast and not be in a hurry.”
Since implementing the change year ago, Fontana Unified has not had much concern or pushback on the new start time, said Clarissa Trejo, a district spokeswoman.
By now, she added, “everyone has gotten used to the new schedule.”
“We have found that for families with children at elementary, middle and high school levels, it has become easier for them to make sure all of their students can be dropped off to school on time without conflict,” Trejo continued. “Students prefer the later start times as many of them had to wake up as early as 5:30 previously to get ready for zero periods, extracurriculars, and to help with household responsibilities.”
As the longtime secretary at Kolb in Rialto, Esmeralda Lopez is used to getting to campus earlier than most.
Unlike other middle schools whose new start time is later than previous years, the 8 a.m. first bell at Kolb is actually earlier than the old 8:25 a.m. call time. Moving forward, the bell schedule is good news for students who used to have to wait outside the campus gates for a bit because their parents had to drop them off early, Lopez said.
Now, those early arrivers can enter campus and eat breakfast inside the cafeteria.
Herself a mother of two Rialto students, Lopez said early dismissal at Kolb is a boon for students playing sports after school or partaking in after-school activities.
“Those kids are able to get home early enough to have dinner and do homework without having to rush out of school,” she added.
Outside of typical endof-summer blues, Lopez said Monday, the first day with an earlier start time “was fairly easy.”
Later start times in Riverside Unified, however, mean later release times, which shortens how long Isabella Arangure, a junior at Ramona, has to get to her after-school job at the mall.
Where Ramona students used to finish school at 2:50 p.m., now they wrap at 3:20 p.m.
Consequently, Arangure has 40 minutes after her final class to get to her shift beginning at 4 p.m.
While she likes having the extra time in the morning, she said Tuesday she isn't fond of getting out later.
“Even though we start later, we get out later, which gives me less time to get to work,” she said. “I kind of hate it.”