NJ Senate Unanimously Approves Codey Bill for NJ Officials to Study Later Middle and High School Starting Times

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 12:56pm

TRENTON, NJ - Yesterday, a bill concerning later opening times for NJ middle and high schools, which was sponsored by New Jersey Senator Richard J. Codey (D), of Roseland, unanimously passed the state Senate. Still in the preliminary stages, the bill calls for officials from the NJ Department of Education to review studies which demonstrate that teens who start school later in the morning have better academic scores and are physically healthier than those students who start their mornings earlier.

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“There are academic and health consequences
because of school schedules that are misaligned,” said Codey.
“The smart thing to do is to take a close look at the scientific evidence,
the opinions of the medical community and the experience of other schools
to do what is best for students and the schools.”

Describing the topic a “significant health issue” for adolescents, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a starting time of 8:30am or later for middle and high schools students. The school starting time is based on the doctors' studies that teens need a minimum of nine hours of sleep. and that teenagers' biological clocks prevents them from falling asleep before 11pm and waking up before 8am. Those students who do not get enough sleep experience greater incidences of obesity and depression while their grades also suffer. 

“Students can’t learn if they are half asleep at their desks
and the scientific evidence shows that it isn’t their fault,"said Codey. 
 It’s not just that teenagers need more sleep,
they have a biological schedule that is different.”

NJ Legislative District 27 School Starting Times
The following public and private middle and high schools, which comprise Codey's own district - District 27 - have the following starting times: 

• 7:30am 
  Columbia High School (Maplewood, South Orange) 
  West Orange High School (West Orange)
  
  
• 7:40am
  Chatham High School  (Chatham) 
  Millburn Middle School (Millburn)
  
  
• 7:42am
  West Essex Middle and High School (Essex Fells, Roseland) 
  
  

• 7:45am 
  Hanover Park High School (East Hanover, Florham Park)
  Madison High School (Harding, Madison)
  Millburn High School (Millburn)
  Ridgedale Middle School (Florham Park)
  
  
• 7:50am
  Livingston High School -  (Livingston)
  
  
• 7:55am
  Madison Junior School (Madison) 
  
  
• 7:59am
  Chatham Middle School (Chatham)
  
  
• 8:00am
  Memorial Junior School (Hanover)
  Mount St. Dominic Academy (Caldwell)(private)
  
  
• 8:03am
  Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School (Livingston)(private)
  
  
• 8:05am
  East Hanover Middle School (East Hanover, Florham Park)
  
  
• 8:10am 
  Edison, Liberty and Roosevelt Middle Schools (West Orange)
  Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy Middle School (Livingston)(private) 
  Whippany Park High School (Hanover)
  
  
• 8:12am
  Maplewood Middle School (Maplewood) 
  
  
• 8:15am 
  James Caldwell High School (Caldwell)
  
  
• 8:20am
  South Orange Middle School (South Orange)
  
  
• 8:25am 
  Harding Middle School (Harding)
  
  
• 8:28am 
  Heritage Middle School (Livingston) 
  
  

• 8:35am 
  Grover Cleveland Middle School (Caldwell)  
  Mt. Pleasant Middle School  (Livingston)  
  
  
• 8:45am
  Seton Hall Preparatory School (West Orange)(private)

Most of the country's 18,000 public high schools begin their school day before 8am. 
According to Codey, studies have demonstrated that earlier start times result in more absences and tardiness as well as lower test scores. More than 1,000 schools across the country have already pushed back their start times and reviews of these districts have shown student improvements. Besides assessing the studies, the education officials are also being asked to try out later starting times at some NJ schools. After the officials assess the school opening time issue they will then report back to the state legislature and the governor. 

The Codey bill was co-sponsored by NJ State Senator Shirley K. Turner (D), from District 15.

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