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JCPS staff present preliminary research on school start times; no change mandated for 2025-26
Summary
District researchers told the Jefferson County Board of Education that national evidence links later start times to more sleep and some health and safety benefits but that local JCPS outcome data are preliminary and mixed. Board members asked for more local surveys of parents and teachers before any decision for 2026–27.
Superintendent Marty Polio opened a board work session presentation on Feb. 25 by saying the research briefing was meant to begin a roughly 10‑month conversation about start times for the 2026–27 school year and would not change the district's 2025–26 start times.
JCPS researchers summarized peer‑reviewed national studies and preliminary local analyses. Dr. Chung Fisher, an evaluation specialist in JCPS' research department, told the board that the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association have advised that start times earlier than 8:30 a.m. contribute to insufficient sleep for adolescents. "Just a small delay of 30 minutes or so can result in a significant increase in sleep duration," Fisher said, and noted studies linking later…
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