LA State Senator Reintroduces Bill Calling For Later School Start Times

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A controversial bill that would require California schools to begin classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m. has been reintroduced in the legislature after having been vetoed last year by then Gov. Jerry Brown.

On Friday, state Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena), reintroduced SB-328, which would apply to middle and high schools, including charter schools.

If passed, districts would be required to phase in the bill by July 1, 2022.

Both the Senate and the Assembly passed the previous version of Portantino's bill in August of 2018. However, the following month, it was vetoed by Brown.

The bill was opposed by the California Teachers Association and the California School Boards Association, who argued that school start times should be individually decided by districts at the local level.

In a statement Tuesday, Portantino argued that studies found that students perform better in school with later start times.

"As I stated at the end of the last legislative year, I will continue to fight for to change school start time because it is a science based and results driven policy that will save lives and improve academic performance," Portantino said. "The facts and results are unequivocal and clear; our teens are healthier and perform better when school starts later. I strongly believe test scores will go up and suicidal thoughts will go down."

According to a 2015 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average school start time for middle and high schools in California is 8:07 a.m.