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Student urges Apple Valley Unified to comply with California law on later high-school start times
Summary
A Granite Hills High School junior urged trustees to enforce California’s later-school-start-time requirement for middle and high schools, arguing research shows better sleep, mental health and safety outcomes for teens.
Kian Peak, a junior at Granite Hills High School, told the board that California law requiring later start times for middle and high schools has not been implemented in Apple Valley Unified and urged trustees to prioritize compliance. "When teens are given the sleep their bodies demand, they arrive sharper, healthier, and more emotionally resilient," Peak said.
Peak told the board the state law — referenced in the meeting as a 2019 law and citing 'bill 3281' in remarks — requires middle schools to start no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. He cited research linking later start times to more sleep, less daytime sleepiness and improved attendance and academic outcomes, and said delayed starts also reduce teen driving accidents.
Trustees thanked the student for speaking and said they value student perspectives; the board did not take a vote or adopt a schedule change at the meeting. Several trustees asked staff to consider the complexity of bus routing and family schedules and to place start-time scheduling on a future agenda if warranted.
