In 2019, districts were invited to participate in a later start time pilot study. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, schools switched to remote learning and the pilot study was not implemented. State lawmakers have been aware of the need for later start times for years, Coughlin said. "This has been suggested for a while, but what really brought it to the forefront is the fact that we have a growing crisis of young people who face mental health challenges in part because of the pandemic," Coughlin told The Record/. The spotlight on mental health, and previous research that proves teenagers tend to feel sleepy two to three hours later than adults, and that late school starts resulted in better grades and improved wellness, paved the way for lawmakers to introduce the legislation. Teacher shortage: Teacher shortage is 'big priority,' says US education deputy secretary during NJ visitĬoronavirus: As COVID evolves from pandemic to endemic in NJ, how will our lives change?
The state run Children's System of Care sent 4,201 mobile dispatch units to families and youth needing urgent care to address mental health needs, compared to 2,582 dispatches during the same period last year. The youth mental health crisis is a "parallel pandemic," Christine Breyer, commissioner of the department, said at a hearing in the Senate in March. The New Jersey Department of Children and Families' hotline received more than 14,000 calls from parents and youth seeking help in February, the highest number recorded in its history, with more calls expected in March. The legislation comes on the heels of the pandemic, whose impact on students' social and emotional health has become a concern. A spokesperson for Tenafly school district said West Caldwell district had consulted with them three years ago and shifted their start times.
Princeton and South Orange/Maplewood high schools switched to later start times in 20 respectively. Ridgewood High School considered switching to a later start, but it has held off making a decision.
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