St. Louis Interested in Moving High School Start Times Later
By : Natalie Lo
St. Louis Public School District (SLPS) is proposing later school start times for their middle and high schools.
Missouri high schools have some of the earliest start times in the nation, with an average high school start time of 7:52 AM. Of those, the St. Louis region has some of the earliest start times, with SLPS high schools starting between 7:10 and 7:30 AM.
St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) discussed a Healthy Start Times initiative in a work session board meeting in January 2026. The initiative would have school starting in two tiers; one at 8:00 AM and the other at 9:30 AM starting in the 2026–27 school year.
Later school start times have many benefits. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) found that a high school start time before 8:30 AM is a key contributor to insufficient sleep in adolescents. Furthermore, the AAP explains how early school start times interrupt the circadian rhythm of students and the damaging effects of chronic sleep loss. Currently, only 3 percent of Missouri high schools begin class at 8:30 AM or later.
SLPS cited student health and safety as a top reason to revise early start times. Some students must stand outside in the dark waiting for a bus before 6:00 AM to arrive at school on time.
Initiatives to push school start times back have also been met with considerable criticism. Critics cite concerns including increased transportation costs, complications to extracurricular scheduling, before and after school care, and disruptions to parental work schedules.
The district is currently seeking parent feedback, and plans to discuss school start times further in April.
Published March 2026
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St. Louis schools have been looking into moving high school start times back. St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) discussed a Healthy Start Times initiative in a work session board meeting in January 2026.