When you’re in first period, do you wish you were still in bed all cuddled up? Do you wonder why it’s still dark outside and you have to go to school, when instead you could be sleeping until it at least gets light out?

MCPS Superintendent Dr.  Joshua P. Starr wants to change start times for high schools in all of Montgomery County. Dr. Starr’s plan calls for high schools to start 50 minutes later than the current start time of 7:25.The new start time would be at 8:15.Dr.Starr and the Bell Time Work Group, which created this proposal, think that, if high-school students go to school at a later time, they won’t be so sleepy in class, and their grades will start to show improvement. Surveys by Montgomery’s new cited research have showed that 70% of parents and 63% of students think that the current  start time is too early. If the plan gets approved by the school board, it will take effect in the 2015-2016 school year. The final cost and decision are to be expected in the spring.

High- School students should not go to school at a later time, because the current time is fine the way it is. If the school board decides to change the time, then students will only just go to sleep at a later time than they normally would. If the school board decides to agree to the plan, they will have to spend more money on buses to pick up students.

Would I prefer to get more sleep in the morning? Yes, I would, but if high- school students get out later, especially the students who do activities after school, now they would arrive home late and then do homework, and maybe go to sleep at a later time. The current start time works because we get in early, and we get out early so we have time to get done with everything early, which leaves us time to do whatever we have to get done, such as homework, after school activities, and  anything else.