Mandate a Minimum Start Time for Minnesota Schools

 

The purpose of this bill is to set a minimum start time of 8:00 A.M. for Minnesota’s public middle and high schools to

help improve the sleep schedules of adolescents in Minnesota.

 

Adolescents need 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night, and yet nearly 70% of adolescents report 7 hours or less of sleep on an

average school night. This is due to the tendency for an adolescent to stay up late, which is partly rooted in natural

changes during puberty that causes their circadian rhythms to shift. This means that the ideal time for a teen to sleep

and wake up is shifted by about two hours. If a younger child sleeps at 8:00 P.M., an adolescent will want to sleep at

10:00 P.M., and will have to wake up at 8:00 A.M. to get 8 hours of sleep. The ideal starting time for a school is 8:30

A.M., yet start times in Minnesota’s middle and high schools range from 7:30 to 8:30. This conflicts with a teen’s

wake-up time, as students sometimes have to wake up at 6:00 A.M., if not earlier, just to make it in time for school,

making them much more tired and drowsy. The sleep deprivation of teenagers is especially dangerous, as this can

negatively affect their mental and physical health while they're still developing, worsen their academic performance,

and increase the risk of car accidents just when they’re beginning to drive. To allow the schools that start at 7:30

A.M. that would be significantly affected by this change to ease in, this bill will set a bare minimum starting time of

8:00 A.M.

 

School starting time: the default time where classes officially begin in a given school, not including e-learning days

or possible delays. Any club meeting or event held by a teacher that takes place before the bell is also not included.

Circadian rhythm: A body’s internal 24-hour block that regulates bodily functions such as the sleep-wake cycle

Sleep deprivation: the condition in which a person does not get enough sleep; under 8 hours for adolescents

Public school: A school that runs on government funds, including local, state, and federal governments

School board: a local government body that sets policy and direction for a school district

Adolescent: a young person transitioning from childhood to adulthood, ranging from ages 12 to 18

Hours of instruction: the time spent by students engaging in learning activities under the supervision of a teacher;

including regular class time and supervised study but not including lunch and passing time

 

No funding is necessary for this bill.

 

Minnesota public schools are required by Minn. Stat. § 120A.41 to provide an annual calendar that includes at least 953

hours of instruction for grades 1-6 and 1020 hours for grades 7-12. These schedules are reviewed by the local school

board on whether they follow Minnesota’s Statutes and Department of Education Rules, which will include the minimum

start time proposed by this bill. Since private schools not funded by the government are independent of local school

boards, this bill does not apply to those schools. It is also the responsibility of said schools to communicate with

students and families about any changes that may happen to their schedule as a result of this bill.

 

This bill will go into effect on August 1st, 2027 to give any affected schools and families more time to adjust to any

changes to their schedule.