What time should high school start?
The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that middle and high schools start classes at 8:30 a.m. or later so that students can get enough sleep.
According to a Data Point from the National Center for Education Statistics, most schools start their day much earlier. In 2017-18, the average start time for public high schools was 8 a.m. Among the 50 states and the Washington, D.C., only South Carolina and Washington, D.C., had an average high school starting time that met the Academy of Pediatrics recommendation.
Here are the 10 states (and Washington, D.C.) with the latest average starting times for public high schools.
State Starting Time
1 Washington, D.C. 8:41 a.m.
2 South Carolina 8:34 a.m.
3 Alaska 8:26 a.m.
4 Minnesota 8:21 a.m.
5 Iowa 8:16 a.m.
6 (tie) South Dakota 8:14 a.m.
6 (tie) Virginia 8:14 a.m.
8 Nebraska 8:13 a.m.
9 Montana 8:12 a.m
10 (tie) North Carolina 8:11 a.m.
10 (tie) North Dakota 8:11 a.m.
