Despite calls from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other organizations to begin the school day later for middle and high school students, many schools still begin classes so early that students have a hard time getting enough sleep.
According to a Data Point from the National Center for Education Statistics, most high schools begin their classes much earlier than the 8:30 a.m. start that the pediatricians group recommends. In 2017-18, the average start time for public high schools was 8 a.m.
Louisiana had the earliest average start time, statistics show; the average start was 7:30 a.m., a full hour earlier than recommended.
Here are the states that had the earliest average start times for public high schools in 2017-18:
| 1 | Louisiana | 7:30 a.m. |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 7:38 a.m. |
| 3 | Connecticut | 7:39 a.m. |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 7:41 a.m. |
| 5 | Nevada | 7:45 a.m. |
| 6 (tie) | West Virginia | 7:46 a.m. |
| 6 (tie) | Rhode Island | 7:46 a.m,. |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 7:48 a.m. |
| 9 | Michigan | 7:49 a.m. |
| 10 (tie) | Delaware, Florida, Maine, New Jersey, Ohio | 7:51 a.m. |
According to a Data Point from the National Center for Education Statistics, most schools start their day much earlier. In 2017-18, the average start time for public high schools was 8 a.m. Among the 50 states and the Washington, D.C., only South Carolina and Washington, D.C., had an average high school starting time that met the Academy of Pediatrics recommendation.
Here are the 10 states (and Washington, D.C.) with the latest average starting times f
