SCHOOL START TIMES

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SR0752

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SR0752 - 104th General Assembly

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SR0752
LRB104 21697 RMO 37288 r
1
SENATE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, Decades of peer-reviewed research in sleep and
3
circadian biology led by Dr. Mary Carskadon, PhD, of Brown
4
University and the National Institutes of Health has
5
demonstrated that the biological sleep-wake rhythms of
6
adolescents naturally shift later beginning at puberty, making
7
early-morning school schedules incompatible with healthy
8
sleep; and

9

WHEREAS, This biological shift is not a matter of
10
preference, motivation, or discipline but reflects changes in
11
melatonin release and circadian timing that make it
12
physiologically difficult for adolescents to fall asleep early
13
enough to obtain adequate rest when schools begin early in the
14
morning; and

15

WHEREAS, The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers
16
for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National
17
Institutes of Health all recognize insufficient sleep in
18
adolescents as a significant public health issue linked to
19
increased risk of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation,
20
substance use, obesity, sports injuries, and motor vehicle
21
crashes; and

22

WHEREAS, The American Academy of Pediatrics has formally

SR0752
- 2 -
LRB104 21697 RMO 37288 r
1
recommended that middle and high schools begin no earlier than
2
8:30 a.m. in order to align school schedules with adolescent
3
biology; and

4

WHEREAS, Longitudinal research led by Dr. Kyla Wahlstrom,
5
PhD, at the University of Minnesota has followed more than
6
9,000 students across multiple states and has found that later
7
school start times are associated with increased sleep
8
duration, improved attendance, higher academic performance,
9
reduced depression symptoms, lower rates of substance use, and
10
significant reductions in teen car crashes; and

11

WHEREAS, Dr. Wahlstrom's research further shows that while
12
8:30 a.m. is a meaningful improvement, start times closer to
13
9:00 a.m. produce the greatest benefits for adolescent health,
14
learning, and safety; and

15

WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
16
has identified later school start times as one of the most
17
effective population-level strategies for improving adolescent
18
mental health and reducing injury and mortality; and

19

WHEREAS, Data from the Illinois Youth Survey and related
20
state public health sources consistently show high rates of
21
sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, substance use, and
22
risk-taking behaviors among Illinois middle and high school

SR0752
- 3 -
LRB104 21697 RMO 37288 r
1
students; and

2

WHEREAS, Improving adolescent sleep is a prevention
3
strategy that supports academic success, mental health,
4
substance use prevention, and school safety simultaneously;
5
and

6

WHEREAS, School districts across Illinois face wide
7
variation in transportation systems, geography, staffing, and
8
community needs, making flexible, locally driven
9
implementation essential; and

10

WHEREAS, Transportation contracts and school schedules are
11
regularly re-examined by districts, creating natural
12
opportunities to realign start times in ways that better
13
support student health without increasing long-term costs;
14
therefore, be it

15

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL
16
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we strongly encourage
17
all public school districts serving grades 6 through 12, in
18
consultation with local stakeholders and with consideration of
19
community-specific factors, to assess relevant logistical,
20
transportation, staffing, and community considerations and to
21
develop a plan as practicable to adopt school start times that
22
reflect the biological sleep needs of adolescents by beginning

SR0752
- 4 -
LRB104 21697 RMO 37288 r
1
middle schools (grades 6-8) no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and high
2
schools (grades 9-12) no earlier than 8:30 a.m., with
3
recognition that start times of 9:00 a.m. or later are even
4
more strongly aligned with adolescent circadian health and
5
research-based best practices; and be it further

6

RESOLVED, That school districts are encouraged to
7
prioritize the adoption of later start times during periods
8
when transportation contracts, bus routes, or bell schedules
9
are being reviewed or renegotiated, in order to implement
10
these changes in a fiscally responsible and operationally
11
feasible manner; and be it further

12

RESOLVED, That districts are encouraged to consider later
13
start times as part of comprehensive strategies to improve
14
student mental health, reduce substance use, enhance academic
15
engagement, and promote youth safety; and be it further

16

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
17
delivered to the Illinois Department of Public Health and the
18
Illinois State Board of Education for distribution to the
19
school districts.

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