New legislation at the state capitol may be a boost for tardy teens. The bill would prohibit middle and high schools from starting classes before 8:30am. Nevada Union and Bear River High Schools shifted the beginning of classes this school year, from 7:30 to 8:30am. District Superintendent Louise Johnson says she’s not surprised to hear about the measure, with a lot of research supporting it…

click to listen to Louise Johnson

Johnson says the earlier start time really resonated with her after a recent Healthy Kids Survey for the county revealed a disturbing trend about students’ suicidal tendencies, the worst she’s seen in her 30-year career…

click to listen to Louise Johnson

The average start time for middle and high school students in California is 8:07am. The author of the bill says there’s no implementation date attached to it, that they’d first gather feedback from stakeholders and give parents time to adjust.