On July 12, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed into law HB 1505, a state budget package, which included a provision permitting school districts to redirect existing funding streams, to cover the costs of planning, implementing, or operating later start times. This flexible path to funding later school start times allows for district-driven solutions to address the cost of later school start time implementation.
“This law is the product of years of persistent, coalition-driven advocacy, with physicians, parents, educators, and sleep scientists working together to sound the alarm on early school start times. While there is still work to be done to implement later school start times across the state, this law gives districts the tools and structure to act,” said Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, MD.
Adequate sleep is critical to students’ health, academic achievement, and long-term well-being. Ensuring students have sufficient rest supports stronger immune systems, sharper focus, and more equitable learning outcomes. Early school start times lead to chronic sleep restriction, negatively impacting physical and mental health, driving safety, and ability to learn. The AASM’s position is that middle and high schools should start no earlier than 8:30am to allow for adequate sleep time.
Several AASM members heavily advocated for later school start times, and this funding legislation, to improve the sleep health of students across the state. The AASM also submitted letters of support and had a member-driven online campaign on the issue.
For more information on advocating for later school start times, visit https://aasm.org/advocacy/later-school-start-times/.
