Center Grove has pushed back their schools’ starting times by 30 minutes. I think Greenwood should do the same. There have been many studies showing that giving students more time to sleep can improve student performance. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teens need 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Not getting enough sleep can lead to poor school performance or even signs of depression.

This new change affects all levels of Center Grove schools, with elementary starting at 9:20 am and ending at 3:55 pm, Middle school will start at 8 a.m., and end at 2:50 p.m., High school will start at 8:05 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. These new changes can significantly improve student mental health. With a lack of sleep, teens can be unmotivated and tend to lose focus during school, with proper sleep schedules, teens can get to school on time and be ready to learn. Another benefit to pushing back starting times is better school attendance. Many teens struggle to get up in the morning, resulting in being tardy or absent. Starting later gives teens more time to wake up and get to school. It was also stated that the new times will not get in the way of sports and extracurricular activities, only move them back.

Center Grove reportedly hopes this change will be beneficial to their school corporation. They plan to keep making changes in the best interests of their students. It will be interesting to see if other school corporations adapt to this new schedule, and if they do, how will it affect each school. It is good to see schools acknowledge the needs of kids and teens and are willing to accommodate them. We will have to wait until next school year for the time changes, but many are excited to see what benefits come with them and if it will affect other nearby schools.