By Madison Carr

There has been speculation about Garnet Valley High School changing the start time. Many people have debated whether starting school an hour later would be beneficial for students. There are some pros and cons to both options. The strange 2020-21 school year has brought the topic to the forefront.

Some students may get more sleep. If students are able to go to bed at the same time they do now, they will get another hour of sleep. They will be more well-rested. Studies have shown that this improves student performance. Grades and attendance increase. Students are more awake and prepared to learn. There are countless people that find moving the start time to 8:30 extremely beneficial. 

On the other hand, other Garnet Valley students have voiced concerns that the change will not make these improvements. By starting school one hour later, everything else will start later as well. Sports and other extracurricular activities will end even later. This means that kids will be completing homework later in the night. Students will be going to bed an hour later, giving them the same amount of sleep. GVHS students that have jobs would also have to start later, meaning they would most likely get home much later than they do currently.

Many kids do not see the idea working well in practice. One student stated, “It’s a love-hate relationship. I kinda like it but also don’t” Numerous members of the class of 2022 have also shared that they would like the school district to wait at least one more year before changing the start time. One student expressed, “Our schedule has changed every single year. Them changing it again would be frustrating.” Ultimately, students will have to wait to see what decision is made about moving back the time school starts.