A new law was signed in California in 2019, delaying start times for secondary schools across California. The law was passed in an attempt to improve student well-being and decrease student tardiness. 

Taking a glimpse into different students’ perspectives and opinions of the new bell schedule and the unintended impact of the later start time—one year in advance of the law being enforced—may offer a better understanding as to why these impacts are affecting students.

For Nevaeh Adams ‘23, the new bell schedule has affected her personal life, as well as her job. 

“The new schedule affects my job because I don’t go to work until 5 p.m. I get out of school around 4 p.m. I do not have enough time to get to work,” Adams said. “And, I do not have time to do leisure activities because I work and don’t have enough time afterward.” 

For other students, it has affected their school lives. 

Leyna Jaster ‘23 was on the girls’ golf team during the fall season, and the new schedule has caused her to miss more class time. 

“We now leave during fifth period, at the very beginning [of class], instead of [during] sixth like we did freshman year,” Jaster said. 

Missing more classes has forced her to stay up later in order to catch up on missing work. 

Not everyone who has been affected has experienced negative side effects. People like Rocio Vega ‘22 are okay with the new schedule. 

“It has given me more time to sleep, and to be a little bit more awake for school,” Vega said. 

Others are not so lucky.

Mikaela Babasa ‘23 is on the girls’ cross country team and participated in club soccer at the beginning of the school year. During this time, her entire schedule was filled.

“We had cross country from 5 to 6 a.m., and then we’d have our school day, but I wouldn’t get home till 4 p.m., and then our soccer practices started at 6 p.m. and ended at 9 p.m.,” Babasa said. “Then we’d start our homework and wouldn’t finish until around 2 a.m.” 

Her schedule left little to no room for sleep. 

At the most, Babasa would get less than three hours of sleep. This led to her eventually quitting club soccer in order to ease her workload. 

“If the schedule hadn’t changed, I wouldn’t have had to quit club soccer,” Babasa said.      

Meanwhile, Jenicca Jaramillo ‘25 has mixed feelings about the bell schedule.

She likes the late start and understands that most students are able to get more sleep.

“Always having to wake up around 6 to 7 a.m. probably wasn’t the healthiest or easiest thing to do for anyone,” Jaramillo said. “The later release time makes sense, I guess, but now some students barely get home around 4 to 5 p.m.”

Now that Daylight Savings Time ended in November, this leaves students approximately two to three hours of sunlight when they get home, she said.

“Just seems kind of unfair sometimes because it feels like we’re at school more often than at home, especially for the students with after school activities, though that’s their choice and some people don’t seem to mind,” Jaramillo said. “Overall it’s a pretty tolerable schedule, so I can’t really say I hate it, but it’s not something I love too much either.” 

The bell schedule was changed for students’ health, such as getting more sleep before starting school. But, for some, it hasn’t fully fulfilled its intended purpose. 

In a Google Form survey created by the Hawkview that was sent to students, 59% of 61 students said they would be amenable to changes to the bell schedule. For the most part, many students echoed Jaramillo’s sentiment: that the later dismissal time leaves very little time for students to rest while balancing their many responsibilities. 

A few have recommendations, such as the reintroduction of office hours. 

During the 2020-2021 school year, the school held a short period, also known as office hours, before lunch via Zoom during distance and hybrid learning. 

Office hours offered students the time to catch up on late work or seek extra help from their teachers. A few students have made the recommendation to bring it back as it was seen as helpful. The reintegration of office hours, some students feel, may improve the schedule for students in need of a helping hand. 

For now, an exploration committee has been created to see if the reintroduction of office hours could improve the bell schedule to help better fit students’ diverse needs.