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Student representative urges later high-school start, proposes seniors opt out of advisory at Vasquez High
Summary
Autumn, the Vasquez High student representative, told the district education subcommittee that later start times and an optional advisory for seniors could improve attendance, academics and mental health; she requested policy flexibility within rural exemptions and urged a review of advisory delivery.
Autumn, the Vasquez High School student representative, told the Acton-Agua Dulce Unified education subcommittee that her school’s 7:40 a.m. start harms students and that state guidance supports later starts. "Right now, we start at 07:40AM... the Later School Start Time Act says that we should not start before 08:30," she said, citing research linking later starts to better attendance, higher GPAs and improved student well-being.
Autumn proposed two options: moving the entire school day later (which she did not advocate) or allowing seniors who meet credit and minute requirements to opt out of advisory and use existing credits (PE, work experience, online classes) to satisfy seat-time. She argued seniors often need time for college applications, work or rest and that California rules contain flexibility for seniors. Autumn added that the district qualifies for the law’s rural-district exemption because of long bus routes; any change must account for local transportation and extracurricular needs.
Board members asked for more detail on how many students would benefit and how scheduling changes would interact with single‑offering classes. Director of Ed Services (S3) and other staff said they would supply scheduling details and data at a follow-up deep-dive meeting. No policy change or vote occurred during the session.
