Upper St. Clair School Board approves new school start times for 2023-24 school year
UPPER ST. CLAIR (KDKA) - Students in the Upper St. Clair School District will be heading into the classroom at later times this upcoming year.
Last month, the district proposed the idea of pushing back start times in an effort to get more students into the classroom.
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As the board considered the idea, a child and adolescent psychiatrist told us that the plan would improve students' overall well-being.
"The interesting thing about teenagers is they need more sleep than I think most people think," Dr. Gary Swanson said. "They need at least eight hours of sleep, preferably nine hours of sleep. And if your average teenager is going to bed at 10 (p.m.) and they have to be at school at 7 (a.m.) or on the bus at 6 (a.m.), they're not going to get that amount of sleep."
In a letter from the superintendent, the district announced the new start times for next year.
High school will start at 8 a.m., elementary will begin at 8:35 a.m., and middle school will start at 8:55 a.m.
You can see the full letter and times at this link.