The Olathe school district has officially changed school start and end times for all schools, which will begin next school year. The changes are a result of adapting to a shortage of bus drivers.
Their fix for this problem is having schools start at different times. The elementary schools will start school at 8:55 a.m. and get out at 3:55 p.m., Middle schoolers will start school at 8:20 a.m. and get out at 3:20 p.m., and high schoolers will start at 7:40 am. and end at 2:40 p.m.
The district thinks that by fixing these times, this will help the buses be more successful. By starting school 20 minutes earlier it will help with getting the kids dropped off at school.
Multiple different high schoolers aren’t happy about the time changing because that means waking up early and having to be in class earlier as well.
Changing start times could cause problems with kids starting to become more tardy. Not being in the class for the full time can affect a kid academically.
Yes, the kids that ride the bus will be dropped off on time, but what about the kids that walk or the kids that get dropped off by a parent?
Kids also might not be attentive in class because of getting less sleep.
Teenagers need at least eight and 10 hours of sleep every night. Most teenagers only get about 6.5 -7.5 hours of sleep each night, and starting even earlier won’t help the problem.
According to an article by Better Health Channel, “Teen’s body clocks naturally shift to make them feel tired later in the evening, but early school starts do not enable them to sleep in the mornings.”
Engagement in school will become less and less with the amount of kids not getting enough school. School should be starting later rather than earlier because of this problem.
Most kids don’t agree with this change., it’s going to be big change for kids not riding the bus to get to school on time. People’s sleep schedules will be messed up and less focused in the classroom. I think they should leave schools starting at the same time and not change it and make it start earlier.
