Science Drives the Schedule Shift (Image Credits: Unsplash)
Las Vegas – The Clark County School District implemented new start times for the 2026-27 school year to better align school bells with students’ biological rhythms, particularly benefiting high schoolers while posing challenges for middle schoolers.[1][2]
Science Drives the Schedule Shift
Officials based the changes on decades of sleep research. High schoolers, who currently began classes around 7 a.m., now start at 8:30 a.m. This adjustment addresses the natural delay in teenagers’ circadian rhythms during puberty.[1]
Middle schools shifted to 7:30 a.m. from about 8 a.m., and elementary schools moved to 9:15 a.m. from roughly 9 a.m. Superintendent Jhone Ebert explained the priority: “The new school start times better align with the sleep needs of high school students. Research shows that later start times for high school students lead to more sleep, reduced anxiety, and greater alertness, which in turn improve attendance, standardized test scores, and graduation rates.”[2]…