Jan. 29, 2024 – Duval County Public Schools has opened a survey inviting stakeholders to share feedback on new start times for district schools. The survey is part of an overall strategy to align with House Bill 733, which will require the instructional day to start no earlier than 8:00 a.m. for middle school students and no earlier than 8:30 a.m. for high school students by the start of the 2026-27 school year. The survey has been emailed to district families and can be accessed by all stakeholders on this survey webpage until Feb. 14.
District leaders presented multiple scenarios for new start times for district schools during the School Board’s Jan. 14 workshop. District leaders say to meet HB 733’s requirements, start times for elementary and dedicated magnet schools will also have to be adjusted. This is to ensure the proper number of school buses are available to pick up and drop off students throughout the day.
“With the number of school buses available to us, we run a three-tiered system,” says district Chief of Operations Erika Harding. “The three-tiered system is the most efficient way to transport students. It allows for the school bus to be fully utilized throughout the day. We only have enough buses to carry either elementary, middle or high students at one time, which is why school start times are staggered.”
Under the district’s current schedule, most elementary schools start at 8:30 a.m., middle schools start at 9:30 a.m., and high schools start at 7:15 a.m., with exceptions at each level. Several high schools also serve as “hubs” for dedicated magnet schools, many of which start around 8:00 a.m.
The premise behind HB 733 is to increase the amount of sleep for middle and high school students and to lessen the impacts of sleep deprivation. Experts say this includes lower academic performance, car accidents, mood disorders, and tendencies toward high-risk behaviors.
The new law requires school districts to inform the community of the “health, safety, and academic impacts of sleep deprivation on middle school and high school students and the benefits of a later school start time and discuss local strategies to successfully implement the later school start times.”
District and transportation leaders presented four different scenarios to board members that would alter start times for each tier, as well as dedicated magnets. You can view the proposed scenarios here. Staff say some potential advantages to changing start times include:
Middle school students benefiting from earlier dismissal times to manage academic responsibilities
Largest waves of busses occurring earlier in the day when traffic isn’t as heavy
Additional conversation about the scenarios also included:
Impact on families, particularly with multiple children in different schools
Impact on after-school care and activities
Availability of transportation later in the day
“We want to be diligent to explore every angle and every option,” said Dr. Christopher Bernier, superintendent of schools. “We understand that many families are used to our current start times and bus schedules, which is why we will engage the community in this conversation.”
The following timeline was presented to board members, outlining a strategy to engage stakeholders:
Jan. 2025: Present to the District Advisory Council (DAC) and send out surveys (available here: https://dcps.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0SXVDXEDHqVVzO6)
Late Spring 2025: Finalize recommendation regarding new start times and drafting policy language aligned to the recommendation
As the district continues its work to implement HB 733, leaders will release additional updates as they become available.