New York Schools Could Start Much Later Under Proposed Law

A bill in Albany could eventually require New York public schools to start later in the morning.

If the bill passed, it would amend New York State Education Law.

New York May Force Schools To Start Later

A man laying in bed with a clock on top of him

New York State Senate Bill S2631A would require public elementary schools to start no earlier than 8 a.m. and middle and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. statewide.

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The bill was introduced by Senator Robert Jackson and carries bipartisan support, with Republican Senator Anthony Palumbo signing on as a co-sponsor.

A companion Assembly bill was introduced by Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, though that version stalled when its enacting clause was struck later in the legislative cycle.

Science Behind The Change

Three children with backpacks crossing a street

The science behind the push: why lawmakers are pushing it. The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics both recommend that teenagers between 13 and 18 get eight to ten hours of sleep per night, and research consistently shows that early school start times work directly against adolescent biology.

Sleep deprivation in teens is linked to depression, behavioral issues, and academic struggles.

California became the first state to mandate later start times back in 2019, requiring high schools to begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m. New York's bill points to that law as its model.

Here's Where That Bill Stands

A couple of kids walking down a street holding hands

Right now, the bill remains in the Senate Education Committee and has not become law. Individual school districts still set their own bell times, and some have already moved in this direction on their own, particularly in response to bus driver shortages or local health research.

If the bill passed, it would amend New York State Education Law and take effect immediately, applying to the following school year.

School districts would also be required to file annual compliance reports to maintain their full state education funding.