A New Jersey public school district has announced changes to next year's start and dismissal times to give kids more sleep.
In a September letter to parents, the City of Burlington Public Schools system said, "There is extensive research that finds that teenagers are getting too little sleep and later school start times improve learning outcomes."
Starting in the 2018-2019 school year, the first bell for elementary school students will be at 8:25 a.m., and start times for Wilbur Watts Intermediate School and Burlington City High School were pushed to 8:05 a.m. and 7:55 a.m., respectively. Dismissals for the three schools will respectively be 2:55 p.m., 2:45 p.m. and 2:40 p.m.
It appears the start times are only pushed back about 20 minutes, but the district says the changes are designed to get students more rest.
"Student attendance is very important," the letter said. "The education of our children is critical for their future. Every day matters!"
