Okaloosa board to submit state report on school start times after July rule change

Assistant Superintendent for operational services Mister Meyer told the board that a July 2025 change to state law lets districts remain at their current school start times if they provide the state with required compliance documentation.

Meyer summarized the prior 2023 directive (middle schools not start before 8:00 a.m., high schools not before 8:30 a.m.) and said the July amendment shifts some discretion to districts but requires submission of current start times and supporting analysis. “What they’re gonna ask for is our current start times,” he said, and the district must document transportation, extracurricular impacts, staffing and family considerations as part of the compliance package.

Timing and process: Meyer said the state will issue a template and that rulemaking details are expected imminently (he referenced a rulemaking development session occurring the following Friday). The district must prepare and submit the required materials by June 2026 (described in the presentation as "by June of next school year or next calendar year 2026"). The board also will hold a public hearing as required by the statute.

Local impacts considered: staff described possible operational consequences of shifting start times — bus route redesign, potential need for additional drivers, longer staff hours, altered athletic and after‑school schedules, childcare impacts, and costs for extended facility use. Board members noted the lack of additional funding tied to the reporting requirement and emphasized the need to avoid unfunded mandates on district staff.

Next steps: the district will complete the state template when released, hold the required public hearing at a subsequent board meeting, and include the start‑time compliance documentation as part of its June submission schedule.