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Dear Editor,
I believe middle and high schools in Hamilton County should have later school start times.
Many studies show that an extra hour or 45 minutes of sleep would have middle school and high school kids more energized and ready to learn. Many elementary students learn best in the morning when they have the most energy.
A main worry of parents is that the sports will run too long into the night that the kids would be losing sleep after they are done with homework and ready to go to bed. But, I believe the pros of waking up later and having students more energized outweigh the cons of having a select number of kids go to sleep a few minutes later.
I am glad to say next year I will be a freshman at Westfield High School. I am thrilled that Westfield has followed the trend and pushed back middle and high school start times.
I believe switched start is what’s better for the growth of students.
Sincerely,
Zach Purtlebaugh
Westfield Middle School eighth grader