Ohio County Schools take later start times into consideration. If this was to be implemented, it would be in the 2023-2024 school year.

According to the CDC, starting school later has many benefits for students including better sleep, better health, and improved grades. This can only happen if students go to sleep at the same time, but as we know that wouldn’t happen. Students have busy schedules. 

Pushing school an hour later will only move all of their plans an hour forward. Many students also have jobs to get to after school, so having a later end time would delay those students from getting to work. Many students are also involved in extracurricular activities that take a massive amount of time after school. Some students are already leaving school later than 5 at night. Delaying start times will make it so they wouldn’t leave until 6 or 7, giving these students no time left in their day.  

Another downside would be finding more buses. If high school was to start later, you would need to get more buses. There’s already a bus shortage as it is.

This is also impacting our teachers. Teachers have lives too. They have responsibilities they need to attend to, and if they get home later it will interfere with that. Wheeling park teacher Mr.Shultz says, “”It’s a horrible idea, they shouldn’t do it”

With all of these downfalls, the board is still trying to push the later times. They are only looking at the studies and not accounting for the opinions of the people that are being impacted. 

Later start times may be helpful for some, and some may love the idea, but it may actually be worse for us. For example, those with jobs are going to get fewer hours, and that will impact their financial situation. A small percentage of students are actually living on their own and need the money to pay bills. Overall later school start times are disapproved by teachers and students county-wide.