HARRISBURG – A bill to help PA school districts move the start of the school day for high school students was passed unanimously by the House Education Committee. Studies show teenage students learn more effectively when their school day begins at 8:30 a.m. or later. House Bill 2152 allows school districts seeking to change their secondary school start times to use funds through PA’s School Safety and Mental Health Grant Program to alleviate costs associated with the planning, implementation or operation of a later school start time. School districts seeking to delay their start time by 15 minutes or more would be eligible for the grant. In 2018, the PA Senate passed Senate Resolution 417, which directed the Joint State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee to study the topic. Their report noted that insufficient sleep by high school students impacts school performance in terms of cognitive function and performance, graduation rates, attendance, and tardiness. The bill will allow districts to use existing grants to implement the changes at their own pace.The bill now moves to the full PA House.
