Local advocates of altering high school start times now have a national ally.
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement this month recommending no middle or high school in the U.S. begin earlier than 8:30 a.m. This better aligns with teenagers' natural sleeping patterns, according to the statement.
The organization noted teenagers who get enough sleep are less likely to be depressed, overweight or be involved in car crashes and more likely to have higher test scores and grades.
According to a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics during the 2011-12 school year, high schools in Okaloosa County were among less than 10 percent in the nation to begin before 7:30 a.m.
Okaloosa County Superintendent Mary Beth Jackson declined to comment on the announcement until she had time to look at the AAP’s recommendation.
A quick look at the bus stop times for high school students revealed Crestview and Baker had the earliest bus stop times. The Crestview bus picked up students at 5:40 a.m. and Baker at 5:41 a.m. The other high schools begin picking up students at about 6 a.m.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa school start times among earliest in nation