Illinois High Schools Could Start Later—But Will It Really Help?

Parents, rejoice! Your sleep-deprived teenager may soon have one less excuse for being a zombie in the morning. Illinois lawmakers are considering a plan to push back high school start times. Will it actually solve anything?

Lawmakers Want Teens to Sleep More—Good Luck With That

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Does your teenager struggle to get out of bed in the morning? Illinois lawmakers think they have the solution: start high school at 8:45 a.m. instead of the ungodly hour of 7:30 a.m. Advocates claim this will allow teens to get a full eight hours of sleep, improve their grades, and boost their mental health, according to wandtv.com. Sounds great, right?

Except there’s one problem—none of that happens if kids are still on their phones at midnight.

Maybe the Problem Isn’t the School Start Time

Libertyville High School made the change in 2018 and saw improvements. That’s fantastic. But here’s the thing: My wife and I have a foolproof way to make sure our teenager gets enough sleep. We take the phone away at 9 p.m. every night. It’s almost like parenting plays a role in this whole situation.

Unfortunately, schools keep having to change schedules because too many parents don’t want to set basic rules.

What Could Go Wrong?

Not everyone thinks this is a brilliant plan. The Illinois Principals Association argues that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t realistic. Later start times could mean later end times, which means shifting sports practices, after-school jobs, and bus schedules.

The House Education Policy Committee will vote on this by March 21. Will it pass? Maybe. Will it magically fix teen sleep deprivation? Not if TikTok has anything to say about it.

MORE: 9 Best High Schools for Athletes in Illinois