Before their adoption by the School Board last October, later start times were hailed as a panacea for practically all of high-school students’ problems. Fatigued teenagers would get a desperately needed hour of sleep; students would be more focused in class and would earn better grades. Unfortunately, the change has not been as effective as many hoped.

The new start times are intended to allow students to get more sleep, but in reality, this has not always been the case. Since students get home an hour later, they have less time to work on their homework, which often pushes back bedtimes – resulting in the same amount of sleep as before, if not less. Students who participate in athletics or other after-school activities are deeply affected. These students often don’t arrive home until late in the evening, and then they have to stay up late to finish their homework.

Do you get more sleep with the new start times?                                                  (poll of 100 students, courtesy Katie Thompson)

Northern Virginia is well known for its endemic traffic congestion, and this has only gotten worse with the delayed start times. With buses and student drivers now on the roads at the same time as commuters, mornings have become a major headache. The severity of this problem is subjective, though, since the traffic affects those who live farthest from Oakton the most.
According to School Board member Ryan McElveen, FCPS spent $5 million to purchase new buses and rearrange school schedules, so the new start times are here to stay. He added that school schedules are open to small adjustments, though, and encourages students and parents to contact FCPS with suggestions for improvements.