Beginning this fall, the Philadelphia School District is shifting its high school start times to a mostly universal 9 a.m., reflecting a national movement to improve academic outcomes by allowing teens more sleep.
A letter sent to Philadelphia School District principals and staff Thursday by chief of schools Evelyn NuÁ±ez says, “Research shows that later start times for high school students enable them to arrive at school more alert and ready to learn.”
The decision comes after the school system created earlier start times this year, some to 7:30 a.m. Before the pandemic, high school start times varied.
