They’ve done this in our district. We’re in the PNW so it’s always dark anyway 
The biggest complaint has been from high school kids who need to have after school jobs and from athletes whose practices run very late now. But overall I think it’s been a positive change.
Our district does this. MS at 8:15, HS at 8:30, elementary at 9:30. It means the elementary kids get out near dark in the winter time (4 pm) but it seems to be working since the district made the change a few years ago.
Despite efforts from the community, our district has resisted putting the high school start later than elementary or middle school, but what’s even worse is how early it all begins. High school first period starts at 7AM. Students are supposed to arrive by 6:45 AM. My kids were first on their bus route and needed be outside by 5:55AM. Bus was supposed to arrive 6:02 AM but did show up before 6:00 plenty of times.
I can’t imagine how sleepy some of those students were during class. Some students drive themselves or get driven in order to grab an extra 20 minutes of sleep, but (1) it’s not enough (2) who wants new drivers driving to school that tired? In my sister’s town, a high school girl was killed a few years ago when she fell asleep at the wheel, (3) I worry that it has a disproportionate effect on those who don’t have the luxury of getting to school without use of the bus, and (4) I haven’t taken the time right now to go back to confirm this, but I believe I’ve seen studies showing that tardiness, absenteeism, and dropout rates are all affected by this sort of crazy schedule for teenagers.
Where is that. Crazy
School start times finally changed as my youngest was a Senior. It made a HUGE difference for her to have one extra hour of sleep. I also felt much more comfortable sending her out on the roads when it was light. It made after school jobs and activities a bit harder to manage but well worth it. High school went from7:30am to 8:30am start. Middle schoolers have to start at 7:50am. The elementary kids still start latest at 9:20z
I’m a HUGE fan of drag brunches!!
We’re in a city where kids walk or ride public transportation to school, which frees us from the tyranny of school bus schedules. All public schools start between 8:30 and 9. It’s fantastic.
S24 was originally committed to Notre Dame and was very much looking forward to the football. Had first home game today at Brown against Harvard. Stopped watching score online as down so much. Looked at find my phone to see if he left and it showed him at Harvard stadium…how?! Somehow they came back and won, they all rushed the field. He was texting us amidst it all and I joked he shouldn’t text and storm. Spouse said maybe the necklace will accidentally get ripped off in the mayhem. 
Got to Facetime with S24 today-no new necklaces though he was wearing Khakis and a polo shirt which is not normal for him 
. T-6 days till I can hug him. He is home for about 72 hours for Fall break.
Def agree there is science supporting a later start time for teens. Our SD has not moved the times mainly due to multiple sports needing to meet in a limited space. It’s already a very tight balancing rope for our admin managing the school fields and courts. A nearby school moved the HS to start at 9 am rather than 8am a few years ago. However, many of the after-school clubs and activities moved to Zero period at 8 am defeating the purpose entirely.
S24 and D30 have thankfully gotten themselves up and ready for school most days. The only days we parents had to ever step in was if we stayed out past midnight for a family event-they both need their 8 hrs of sleep! I am guessing S24 manages to get himself to class but I am not monitoring him. Live and learn…Unless there is a medical issue, I think college kids shouldn’t need a wakeup call from their parent in college!
I teach in a local commuter college and we are at about week 4 and the first set of midterms rolling around.so many sleep deprived students, doesn’t matter what time the class is held, they can barely keep their eyes open.
Finally spoke to D24 last night, after two weeks without much contact (we were away, often in places without great cell range). She sounds great 
Classes are going well. She had her first set of exams in Chem and Calc, and feels she did well. She submitted her first substantial writing assignment for her Lit class and the biggest shock of all was that when we were talking about registering for classes for next semester, she mentioned wanting to take another lit class with the same professor (“Because this class is really just an introduction, and it sounds like the next class digs a lot deeper into some good books”) 
. This is from the girl who hasn’t voluntarily read a book for pleasure since the 4th grade. To me, this exemplifies perfectly what I hoped for her college experience…that it would expose her to things and lead her on a path of self-discovery.
Socially, it sounds like things are good, too. She’s getting to know more people in her classes, and seems to have a nice tight little group with 2 of her roommates and another girls they know. She has been attending parties every weekend (some frat and some hosted by various sports teams) and gives those a mixed review (many are too crowded and the police often end up breaking them up). Oh, she also “has a boyfriend”, as she casually mentioned. 
but he is not a student there, and is heading to basic training soon, so perhaps it will be short-lived.
It was the longest, most animated conversation we’ve had in…months, if not years. So happy.
Anyway, she comes home for fall break in a bit less than two weeks. Can’t wait to see her, and she, apparently, can’t wait to eat home-cooked meals, so I’m going to have to remember how to cook.
My kid is also SLO Eng and having the best time, found a group of friends, joined a club, gone on a bunch of hikes and outings and liking the classes. It’s such a relief!
D24 got her mail in ballot today and committed to filling it out and sending it back by next week, though she lamented that there were over 60 races to vote in. I directed her to the local League of Women Voters website, where it has all of the races, links to the candidate websites, and answers to 3-5 relevant questions. I did volunteer to explain the local propositions and bond issuances when she got there.
You guys…I have an update about what we will now call the Scooter Saga.
With the departure of our 1st born child out of the nest and firmly planted in college (texted w/her earlier, she & roommate are getting lunch at Chipotle today off campus), it appears that my DH is in the throes of some sort of midlife crisis.
This past weekend, he took a 2-day motorcycle riding safety course, which is required in this state in order to get a motorcycle driver’s license/permit. He then fell under the spell of a sales guy at a motorcycle dealership attached to the place where they were doing the class (which DH took on, like, THE hottest weekend of the year; it was 114 on Saturday), and came home telling me that not only does he now NOT want a scooter, he NEEDS a motorcycle that’s “properly fitted to him” and was babbling a whole bunch of other ridiculous nonsense.
Motorcycle Mike (sales guy, not his real name) also pressured DH to call me right then and there to convince me to say ok to buying it because there was a special sale for JUST THAT DAY ONLY! and then the price goes up by $2000.
The answer from yours truly, Grumpy Wife, was a big fat NO.
Then much moaning & groaning & gnashing of teeth and grumpy words exchanged between Husband & Grumpy Wife and he has now backed off somewhat and agreed to buy a gas-powered scooter instead.
Why did this whole thing start? Because First Born Child expressed interest 3 weeks ago in having her own transportation at college for next school year.
Meanwhile, I’m thinking, “Who are you and why have you replaced my normal husband with somebody who wants to join the Weekend Crazy Old Man Biker Gang?”
What does he want this contraption for? To ride to the gym. And to Circle K to get a soda. Um…you can’t use a CAR for that? And where the heck are you going to store your Circle K soda since there’s NO CUP HOLDER ON A MOTORCYCLE OR SCOOTER?! 
Oh. My. GOSH!
Meanwhile, we have other odds & ends in our garage of Husband’s hobbies over the many years we’ve been married. Is he willing to part ways with any of these treasures so there’s room for a scooter in the garage? OF COURSE NOT! Such as:
The Husband has another play date after work this evening with Scooter Steve. The Husband also did an in person consultation with his old work buddy, Goldwing Gary (who has a goldwing motorcycle), who, along with Big Bike Brad (buddy from elementary school), thinks that huge expensive motorcycles are way safer and because Goldwing Gary and Big Bike Brad say so, I should change my mind and go along with spending a hoard of dough for The Husband’s Midlife Crisis Vehicle, which I think I will call Insanity Irene.
Meanwhile, how’s the kid doing? She’s great. Everything is fine there. But here at Casa ‘My Husband Has Lost His Mind,’ it’s a little nutty. Pray for me.
Status update from the MUNN: the Messed Up News Network
Here’s the latest on the Scooter Saga…
DH had a 2.5 hr play date with Scooter Steve yesterday evening and they went riding on 2 of Scooter Steve’s scooters all around Scooter Steve’s area. Where Scooter Steve lives, road maintenance leaves a lot to be desired (there’s no road maintenance issues in our neck of the woods and he’s not going to be riding a scooter in Scooter Steve’s area of the universe hardly at all, so why is this a deciding factor? Nobody knows; even when Madame Leota looks into her crystal ball, she gets nothing when asked this), so DH babbled on for quite awhile about how Scooter #1 has better shocks than Scooter #2 and it’s super fun to ride and Scooter Steve gave him a helmet and…and…and…
DH could pick up a new scooter this week! Quick! Call now and we’ll throw in a free set of ginzu knives with purchase! Don’t delay!
Grumpy Wife then asked DH to calm down and take a deep breath, what is the urgency & the rush of all this, we should think about this, and scooters aren’t going away any time soon, you’re going this weekend to visit D24 at college and to attend her choir concert on Sunday, how about we revisit and discuss it next week after the dust settles?
DH then was grumpy and needed a time out, so DH & Grumpy Wife took a time out from each other because all of the non-stop Scooter Talk for the past 2 weeks has started to turn her into…
This morning, having slept on it and while driving D26 to school, Grumpy Wife had a revelation…
Since DH wants a scooter that’ll go 60 mph so he can drive to the gym, to the Circle K, and to work (on side streets, not freeway), guess what? We will not need 4 modes of transportation at home for 3 people and this means…
wait for it…
wait for it…
The 10 yr old Honda Fit with 60k miles on it which D24 was using before she went off to college could go with her to college starting sophomore year next year. It’ll need new tires, a tune up, and all that. So therefore the problem will be solved.
DH just doesn’t know this yet. When he learns soon (in another week) of Grumpy Wife’s dastardly plan, he will be like…
[sitting quietly not mentioning how NiceUnparticularMom recently bought me a new clutch for my midlife crisis vehicle as an anniversary present]
Had a great visit with D24 this weekend, spent a day in Boston having her navigate and she’s prepared to return from fall break via bus/train. When we asked her to rate her school 1-10, she looked at us like we had three heads and said “ten?” almost… why are you even asking?
I think it’s easy for us to over-weigh the comments that are negative (like that first unprogrammed weekend where we got an “I am not having a good time”) and easy for them to not share when things are going great! Our goodbye was totally different than dropoff, hugs and smiles, and she is looking forward to coming home for fall break in two weeks.
I’m sure she had so much fun picking it out for you!
She is kinda mad because we are not supposed to make a big production out of our anniversary, and then I did a couple things that were not expensive, but thoughtful and surprises. When she complained, I told her the clutch (particularly with labor) was a much bigger present. But then I privately told D30 I was very pleased to have won our anniversary this year with my stealth attack.
Anyway, longish talk with S24 last evening before a big Chem test (he was done studying but still had some time before the test, and I think wisely was just looking for a distraction). No big updates but I got a lot more insight into what classes have been like, career musings, what initiation into the one club sport was like, what he will likely be doing for spring break (namely spending it with guys from the club sport) . . . his distraction was very nice information for me!
So I guess he won that conversation, but I am cool with it.
Is that really a bad thing? Maybe I’m just used to seeing it here? IDK
I am late catching up, but I was about to type the same thing.