We'd all probably love a few extra minutes to sleep in every morning, and if a new proposal in Springfield becomes law, Illinois could make that a reality for teens.

An Illinois state lawmaker has proposed legislation to require high schools to start classes no earlier than 8:45 a.m., but not everyone is on board.

Rearranging bus schedules and coordinating parents' work schedules are some of the concerns that have been raised about the idea, but a group of high school students from Libertyville is trying to convince state lawmakers otherwise. 

"Even just an extra half hour of sleep has astounding benefits," said Libertyville High School student Addison Krupinski.

She and her classmates want all Illinois high schools to star class no earlier than 8:45 a.m.

"I think a big major issue among teenagers is just getting enough of that sleep, and I think this can really help the mental well-being," Tyler Wuh said.

"Every one of us four right here, as well as a lot of other kids in the school, do balance a ton of extracurriculars on top of the school day," Maya Anderson said.

This week, students from Libertyville High School spoke directly to the Illinois House Education Policy Committee about the dangers of teenagers not getting 8-10 hours of sleep per day – including side effects like riskier behavior, poor academic and athletic results.

"We're doing it for the kids; the mental health of our students, the academic success, the athletic success," student Benjamin Ratner said.

Libertyville High School has started at 8:45 a.m. since 2018

"This is something that we're clearly benefiting from, and we really think that it could benefit everyone else," Krupinski said.

In 2019, California passed a law mandating high school starts no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Florida passed a similar law in 2023, and it takes effect in 2026.

"We already have two states – California and Florida – who have passed similar legislation, and they're both two dramatically different states with different political landscapes," Krupinski said.

Illinois state Rep. Laura Faver Dias (D-Grayslake) introduced the proposal that could change high school start times across the state. The Education Policy Committee, for which she serves as vice chair, held a hearing on her proposal this week, but has yet to vote on it.

Some critics argue pushing the bell back later would create a logistical nightmare for buses and for parents' work schedules

A survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that, in 2021, nearly 80% of students were not sleeping enough.