LAS VEGAS — The Clark County School District (CCSD) is considering pushing all school start times 30 minutes later and is seeking community feedback on the proposal.
A community survey was launched on Sept. 26 to gather input from parents, guardians, students, and staff about a potential change to school start times. Currently, most CCSD high schools begin at 7 a.m., middle schools at 8 a.m., and elementary schools before 9 a.m. The proposed change would move these start times 30 minutes later.
District officials say the shift is based on research that suggests later start times can improve student health and academic performance.
Dr. Jerry Hu, a CCSD parent and owner of Nevada Dental Sleep, supports the change:
“The first thing it’ll affect is your concentration, and that, you know, entails their grades and their school performance.” He added, “You look at some of these European countries that really focus on this, in particular, like Denmark and those areas, and even some Scandinavian countries, Sweden and whatnot, when they do these changes, oh my goodness, their score, school performance, their test scores, go up.”
But delaying start times comes with challenges as well. From scheduling challenges because of parent and guardian working hours to organizing childcare, the potential impact is far-reaching.
Superintendent Jhone Ebert acknowledges the implications of the change, saying, “Every family, student, and staff member brings a unique perspective on how this shift could impact daily life. We’re committed to hearing from all stakeholders and the entire school community.”
Community members had until Oct. 17 to share their thoughts and feedback via the three-minute survey.
