Clark County School District (CCSD) is changing its school start times for the upcoming academic year by as much as an hour and a half for most high school students. 

Generally, most high schools start around 7 a.m., followed by middle schools around 8 a.m. and elementary schools around 9 a.m. 

Superintendent Jhone Ebert announced Monday that starting next year, middle schools will generally start around 7:30 a.m., followed by high schools around 8:30 a.m. and elementary schools around 9:15 a.m. 

To make this shift happen, Ebert said the district is expecting a one-time cost of $5.6 million for additional buses, which will be covered by the district’s bond funds, and an ongoing cost of $5.1 million for additional staffing and maintenance of the additional buses. 

Ebert said the decision was motivated by research that shows teens’ biological clocks make them predisposed to going to sleep late at night and waking up late in the morning. According to the American Psychological Association, the benefits of school start times between 8 and 8:30 a.m. include better sleep, better physical and mental health, better attendance, better grades and fewer car crashes. 

“We’re making this decision to ensure that every student, from our pre-K to our 12th graders is sitting in front of a teacher when their brain is most ready to absorb the knowledge that our teachers are sharing with them,” Ebert said. 

In 2023, Ebert’s predecessor, former Superintendent Jesus Jara, joined other Nevada superintendents in opposing an attempt by the State Board of Education to push back school start times, citing concerns on costs estimated then to be as high as $145 million, and whether it would negatively impact families’ schedules and after-school activities, including sports. The idea was proposed by the board’s president at the time while Ebert served as the state superintendent of public instruction. 

Results from a recent CCSD survey showed the majority of about 48,000 respondents said that later school start times could benefit students’ sleep and improve their mental health, though about half were concerned it could create conflicts with parent or guardian’s schedules. More than 40 percent said they were concerned it could lead to additional expenses related to before or after-school child care or negatively impact after-school activities, including clubs, sports and student’s work and family time. 

The district said in an FAQ document that it will continue to partner with outside agencies to provide options for child care before and after school such as the Safekey program.

The district’s Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Jesse Welsh said it’s possible some schools may elect to hold club activities and sports practices in the morning when it’s less hot during the summer.