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Coronado starts early, but could that effect the health of students? Victoria Reynolds Class of 2027, says, “I prefer to sleep in because waking up so early is annoying, especially when I’ve hung out with my friend the day before, and we were up late having fun, plus I function better with a later schedule.”
There are studies that show that high school students work better later, and that the teenage mind does not start functioning until 10 a.m. The Atlantic observes “teens stay up longer not because they want to but because they have to.” The teenage brain produces the hormone melatonin at 11 p.m. and stops at 8 a.m.!
Coronado starts at 7:40 a.m., before melatonin production stops in teen brains. On Mondays, we start at 9:40 a.m.; if school started later everyday, and the end of the day was pushed back, students would be 90% more productive than normal. “To ask a teen to be up and alert at 7:30 a.m. is like asking an adult to be active and alert at 5:30 a.m.,” said Biology researcher Horacio de la Iglesia. Teens would be able to remember more and be ready for the day!
Ava Esquibel, Class of 2027, says, “I would like if school started later, so I don’t have to rush out the house to make it to school on time, and when I go to class, I feel so tired I could fall asleep.” Most teens prefer a later school start time, not only because of how tired they are, but also the rush to get to school.
But not everyone hates getting up early. Brooklyn Lewis Class of 2027, prefers getting up early: “I like to get up early and enjoy the quiet mornings and get ready without having to hear cars or people outside, and the fresh breeze when I walk outside feels nice and wakes me up!”
Clearly, early school start times are not conducive to high schoolers’ ability to learn, and Coronado administration should reconsider their policies.
