Dear Editor,

I don’t think that Virginia Beach City Public Schools should start school at a later time. I feel that it would only complicate things and make them worse. I think students would get the wrong idea by thinking they have more time to sleep, so they stay up later. It also makes it harder to get little siblings off the bus after school because high schoolers would get out later. Pushing the time later would make after school activities later which takes away evening family/house time. I’m not really sure why the school board would make a decision when there are ultimately more cons than pros.

~ Sophomore Burkelle Reighard

Dear Editor,

My opinion on a high school start time change is at a standstill. I used to be very strongly opposed to later start times but after considering other factors I have become more neutral. Academically speaking, there have been positive cases defending a later start time. Students pay more attention and test scores improve. However, in some cases, the places where they are changing times have less of a homework load which eliminates the students’ time management issue between schoolwork and social life. Socially speaking, high school students are involved in many after school activities which cause some to get home at 9:30 p.m. even with the early start time. Between an unnecessary amount of schoolwork, a pressure on students to be involved, and their free time, students will have no time for everything they need to do. Because of this, it will cut into their needed sleep time so teens will get as much, if not less, sleep than they would get if the start time was 7:20 a.m.

~ Junior Zoe Ferrell

Dear Editor,

I agree with the article and some of the points and views that were stated. If high school starts later, the “additional” amount of sleep will not be taken into effect, because teens will choose when they go to sleep every night. I agree with letting the students (the ones actually being affected) have a say in this change of schedule. Most of the freshman/sophomore class still rely on their parents to provide transportation to get to school, so pushing the time later will make it difficult for the parents who have jobs, and students as well. Later dismissal will mean less money to be made for a night shift at a students’ workplace.

~ Junior Rayna Clark

Dear Editor,

I agree with the time change. Kids need more sleep because they stay up late doing homework. This time change will affect sports practices very much so. Some teams might have to practice in the morning. This is the only negative effect of the time change. It might take awhile to adjust to the new time change but after awhile I think it will improve students’ lives.

~ Senior Wes Carvala

Dear Editor,

I agree that changing the school start times is not an effective way of giving teens more sleep every night. Having a later start time means kids will either stay up later or wake up early to do homework; they won’t go to bed earlier or sleep in. Finishing later will put more strain on students’ extracurriculars and social lives. In order for high schoolers to get more sleep, changes to the school’s curriculum need to be made.

~ Junior Edward Finman