Later Start Time for High Schoolers and Mental Health Ed For NJ

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed legislation that will allow the New Jersey Department of Education to create a four-year pilot program which will test later start times for high school students in the state. He also signed legislation that will give all New Jersey public school students (K-12) an education about the importance of good mental health in their health classes, according to Princeton Planet.

“We are striving to do all that we can to improve health and wellness for our students. By ensuring that children in grades K through 12 learn about mental health, we can promote a healthier future for New Jersey,”  Governor Murphy said.

It's been proven through research that starting high school too early in the day can have a negative impact on students. I would agree. My high school started at 7:45am, and my brain just wasn't awake yet. Lol. I think many current high schoolers would agree with me. This pilot program would test different start times to see how they would affect students, districts, after school sports, activities, transportation, and more.

Who will get to be a part of this pilot program? The New Jersey Commissioner of Education will pick 5 school districts to participate in the pilot program, including urban, suburban, and rural districts in the state.

The Princeton School District is already ahead of the curve on this. Their school board approved a later start time for their high school last year.

Should be interesting to see the results of this test. Why couldn't this have happened when I was in high school? Lol.