One of the most hotly debated topics in Lower Merion has finally come to a resolution, with the district now moving its high school start times back a full hour. The process was far from easy—in fact, the ensuing tumult lasted several grueling years. But while getting here wasn’t simple, the end results have been well worth the effort. LM’s updated start times have been a resounding success, offering students healthier sleep schedules and improved academic performance with minimal tradeoffs.
First and foremost among the benefits that LM students have enjoyed due to later start times is better physical and mental health. The CDC recommends that high schoolers receive eight to ten hours of sleep each night—a figure less than a third of all teenagers achieve. This epidemic of sleep deprivation comes at an unfortunate cost. Chronic sleep deprivation manifests in reduced cognitive performance, impaired mental health, and an exacerbated risk of obesity. Later start times can help solve this, with research from the University of Michigan showing that schools starting at 8:30 or later allow well over sixty percent of students to receive adequate sleep. Jesse Barlev ’26 notes, “Ever since they pushed the times back, I’ve felt way more alert throughout the day.” Furthermore, even a relatively modest alteration to school start times has the potential to save lives. Adolescent motor fatalities can decrease by 70 percent when later start times are enacted. Later school start times impact more than just abstract statistics—they can save kids’ lives.
Academic performance also stands to benefit from later start times. When students are sleep deprived, their ability to do schoolwork diminishes significantly. The new system, as noted by the American Psychological Association, better conforms to adolescent circadian rhythms and offers a solution. Across the board, later start times have, as found by the Institute of Education, resulted in five to ten percent grade increases when implemented at the high school level. By making this change, LM is poised to offer a far superior learning environment than previously.
That’s not to say there aren’t any drawbacks to the changes. For student athletes, after-school practices are now pushed further back in the day. With later start times come later end times, meaning that many extracurriculars may run until 6 p.m. or later. However, while these tradeoffs are real and worth acknowledging, the benefits of the start time change more than make up for what’s lost in the process.
Ultimately, the decision to push back start times at LM has brought about numerous positive changes for students. The benefits, which include significantly improved physical, mental, and academic performance, far outweigh any drawbacks. Although student athletes and those involved in extracurricular activities may face some logistical hurdles, the overall positive impact on student well-being is clear. By making this adjustment, LMSD is prioritizing the health and success of its students, setting a solid foundation for their future.