Healthy Start Times

for SLPS!

The Problem

In the St. Louis Public School (SLPS) district, 96% fo high schools and middle schools have unhealthy start times, before the 8:30 or later recommendation by sleep experts, pediatrians, and the CDC. Nationwide, schools start at 7:59am on average, and 75% of students get inadequate sleep. In SLPS, the problem is severe, with start times of 7:10am for the majority of high schools.

The Solution

Restore healthy start times for all SLPS students, to improve physical, mental, cognitive, and emotional health. (Read more below about these benefits.)

SLPS has long cited transportation as being the reason for early start times. However, the district is currently looking at transportation reforms anyway--so this is the time for change. Transportation experts believe that we could make our routes more efficient, eliminating the need for 3 start times, and instead having
ALL schools start around 8:00 or 9:00.

In Summer 2024, SLPS moved ALL high schools and some middle schools to a 7:15 A.M. start time due to a bussing crisis. The COO, Mr. Square Watson, did mention healthy start times in announcing the change, signaling that district leadership was listening to the call for change, and that this move was done as an emergency measure. However, with the Superintendent on leave pending investigation, it is uncertain how things should and could move forward. What we do know is that more parents from across the district need to be vocal about their support and demand that the district find a reasonable solution.

LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS!

Based on the data clearly showing the detrimental health effects of early start times, these and many other associations formally support school start times of 8:30 or later:

American Academy of Pediatrics
American Medical Association
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Association of School Nurses
Society of Pediatric Nurses

SPREAD THE WORD & GET UPDATED

Join the email update list by messaging HealthyStartTimesSTL@gmail.com

If you'd like to have a Healthy Start Times volunteer
speak at your school, please email us!

Or join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/healthystarttimes

Please let the superintendent and school board
know how you feel about this issue! Click the links above to see
templates for emails or letters.

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