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To: Joshua Starr, Superintendent and Montgomery County, MD's Superintendent of Schools and Board of Education

Changing Montgomery County, MD's High School Start Times to 8:15 AM or Later.

We respectfully request our school board to officially recognize the large and compelling body of research regarding teen sleep and academic achievement, and, with a resolution, to set a goal to start high schools in Montgomery County, MD, after 8:15 AM.

Why is this important?

When teens get the required 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep:
• School attendance goes up,
• Tardiness decreases,
• They sleep less in class,
• They get in fewer traffic accidents,
• Visit nurses and counselors less often, and,
• Report less depression and irritability.
Starting school before 8:15 AM, without a doubt, undermines optimal academic achievement.

Category

Updates

2026-02-02 09:00:04 -0500

We now have legislation that is live in Maryland to set healthy guardrails for school start times. Please go to https://www.startschoollater.net/md---statewide ASAP to contact legislative committees and sign up to testify for the hearings occuring on February 4 and 5, 2026.