Due to a state of California mandate going into effect in the near future, the San Diego Unified School District school board has determined that all schools will start after 8:30 next fall, with exact start times for each school yet to be determined. 

   The decision to have all high schools in California start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. beginning in 2022, was made by Governor Gavin Newsom, according to the New York Times, because studies show that this is a healthier start time for students (nyt.com).

   Principal Jeff Olivero said, “In the hypothetical scenario where school started at 9:00 a.m., the school would then get out at 3:54 p.m.” Olivero said that the District should be telling schools their individual start times soon: “They should definitely give us our start time by January.”

   One problem that the new bell schedule creates is having less sunlight for sports teams and band for practice, because only the football field has lights. One solution to the problem of shorter practices due to daylight, that was suggested by staff, is to go back to having sixth period athletics. This would mean students would have an extra hour of practice and wouldn’t miss other classes on game days.

   According to a weekly update email, Olivero mentioned, “Because of the late time that school ends and sporting events are still scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m., students on game days will likely miss their sixth period class and for some, a portion of their fifth period class. Having a sixth period athletics class can help as students will not miss instruction sixth period because of game day.”

    Junior Jack Mendoza said, “I definitely prefer the current schedule, because I like waking up earlier; and getting out earlier means more time in the afternoon for other things.”

   Mendoza added, “I get up early anyway, so it will be a waste of time, and since we will be getting out later, even more of a waste.”

   For some students, having school start at a later time affects their ride to school. Sophomore Mara Mercado takes the bus to school every day. Mercado said, “I don’t like having school start later. Because I take the bus, I would be sitting in traffic for a long time before school, and after school on the way home.” 

   As a student body, people will have to adapt to many of these changes. “I think it will be pretty difficult, and I feel bad for all the athletes because now they will probably have to practice later into the night, giving them less time for homework,” Mercado explained.

   Recently, UC High Sophomore Zachary Patterson was elected to the Student Board as a representative and will be sworn in on December 10.  “What I will work to do is provide more guidance to local schools on how to actually handle this,” said Patterson.

   Another proposed plan was having a block schedule with different classes each day, but was rejected by 98 percent of the teachers at UC. Olivero mentioned, “It’s called a four-by-four, where you have four classes on one day, and four classes the next day. You would alternate days, and it would total eight classes in all.”