Latest news with #SenateBill296
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeSantis signs bill to repeal mandating later school start times
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — For those out there who thought they were going to catch up on sleep with later school start times, guess again. In a rare reversal, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation repealing later school start times for middle school and high school students. Bradenton officer recovering after being dragged by driver 'It's a lot for the legislature to admit that maybe they made a mistake,' said State Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton. 'Just let the local school board decide what is best for their children.'In 2023, the governor signed a law to push back school start times. Backed by research, lawmakers said that middle and high school students were not getting enough sleep, but after school districts realized the impacts, the negative feedback was 'overwhelming.' 'We talked about the shortage with the bus drivers, and we talked about how much this was going to cost our school districts, and unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears,' State Rep. Bracey Davis, D-Ocoee. Lawmakers repealed that bill, which was just enacted last year. House Bill 733 required middle school classes to start their day after 8:00 a.m., and high school classes to start after 8:30 a.m. The 2023 law gave schools three years to develop plans to implement these changes. However, State Senator Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, who once supported the bill, looked to repeal its passage, town halls were held. School officials and parents weren't up for 'sleeping in' citing financial and logistical concerns. 'Kids are just going to stay up later,' mother Norma Tutt said. 'If they are staying up later now and getting less sleep, pushing it ahead isn't going to do anything but give them more time to stay awake.' After the negative feedback from school districts, lawmakers knew they made a mistake, but not every leader was on board with the repeal. 'Kids, Uncle J thinks you should be able to start school later, but all these adults are saying no,' said State Sen. Jason Pizzo, I-Sunny Isles Beach. 'I just want you to know that Uncle J thinks that you should be able to go to school later.''The science does prove that Uncle J (Senator Pizzo) is right, but without more resources, without maybe even more time to figure out how we actually implement this in real time with bus driver shortages and the like, we are possibly walking into a minefield that we shouldn't venture into,' Burgess said. With Senate Bill 296, school districts now have the option of submitting a detailed report to the state breaking down why they cannot make the later school start times work. In Tampa Bay, most high school start times are around 7:10 a.m. with middle schoolers ranging from 7:15 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. Now that the governor signed the repeal into law, school districts will have the option to opt in on the later start times or opt out. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Florida Set To Change School Start Times
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Florida lawmakers have unanimously voted to undo a statewide mandate requiring later start times for middle and high schools - less than a year after approving it. The bill, passed in both the House and Senate without opposition, would give school districts the ability to keep earlier bell schedules if they determine that later times are unworkable. Newsweek has contacted State Senators Clay Yarborough and Tracie Davis, who introduced the bill, as well as House sponsor Representative Anne Gerwig via email for comment. Why It Matters Local officials in counties such as Pinellas and Pasco raised red flags over the cost and operational strain of the original law. Pinellas County estimated it would need to spend nearly $3 million and hire dozens of new bus drivers. Pasco County leaders cited similar concerns. Pinellas board member Lisa Cane said students have voiced concern over how later times could affect their jobs and extracurricular activities. Traffic congestion is another worry in the county. File photo: students hangout between classes at Colonial H.S. in Orlando, Florida. File photo: students hangout between classes at Colonial H.S. in Orlando, Florida. Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP What To Know The 2023 law had required middle schools to start no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m., based on research into teen sleep patterns. Districts were given three years to comply, however, implementation quickly ran into financial and logistical hurdles, particularly in large urban and small rural counties, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Senate Bill 296 will allow school districts to avoid the requirement, by informing the state Department of Education why a shift in the start times would not work. House sponsor Representative Anne Gerwig, a Republican from Wellington, said the original law had good intentions as it considered adolescent and teens normal sleep schedules, but that for some schools making the change could be difficult, so allowing them leeway was important. "A lot of times we don't really realize everything that could happen," she said during the floor discussion. A fiscal report on the bill explained that some of the barriers faced by schools under the ruling of the 2023 legislation included childcare and student supervision issues, after-school activities issues and transportation issues concerning the costs of adding bus routes and buses. What People Are Saying State Representative LaVon Bracy Davis, a Democrat from Orlando, speaking about the original legislation, said, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times: "When this bill came, so many of us yelled to the rooftops about the unintended consequences. Unfortunately it fell on deaf ears. So here we are repealing the bill." State Senator Danny Burgess, a Zephyrhills Republican, during a committee debate on the bill last month: "Without more resources, without maybe even more time to figure out how we actually implement this in real time, with bus driver shortages and the like, we are possibly walking into a minefield that we shouldn't venture into," said "It was one heck of a pain in the butt that bill was. And so this makes me wonder what it was really all for." What Happens Next The bill is now headed to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for approval. With DeSantis expected to sign the new bill, Florida school districts will retain wider authority over start times.
