Many schools looking at start times

To me, it looks like bus transportation is the problem. But what about that metropolitan area traffic for the bus drivers if schools start later [110,000 students along 6,500 routes , 1,500 buses]?

“Most high schools in Fairfax County, VA [suburban Washington DC, median family income $122,200]  start at 7:20 a.m., with bleary-eyed students getting picked up by their school buses as early as 5:45 a.m. In Arlington, the high school start time is nearly an hour later, and in Loudoun [richest county in the country] most high schools begin at 9 a.m.

“It’s important for the physical and mental health of our adolescent students,” said School Board member Sandy Evans (Mason), who sponsored the resolution and was a co-founder of the advocacy group Sleep, which led previous efforts to shift start times.

Evans cited research indicating sleep deprivation contributes to such problems as depression, obesity and poor academic performance. In a county survey, two-thirds of students reported getting seven hours or less of sleep on school nights.”

http://www.sleepinfairfax.org/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-school-board-wants-to-change-school-start-time/2012/04/12/gIQAfie4DT_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines