Among the 49,000 students, there was a noticeable decrease in disciplinary and absentee problems, as well as an increase in the level of alertness. If Leon County schools were to follow the examples set around the country and move high school starting times up by an hour or so, the non-student community would benefit as well. Students getting adequate levels of sleep are not only more likely to make good grades, they are also less likely to get involved in crime. If schools got out later in the afternoon, the community would avoid having teen-agers on the streets from 3 to 6 p.m., the most common hours for juvenile crime. Also, because more traffic accidents are due to lack of adequate sleep than to any other single cause, traffic problems could be lessened as well.
Daytime sleepiness is the most common sleep-related disorder of adolescence.
With so many new drivers on the road, it's a scary thought. All of the evidence points to the conclusion that starting schools later would be beneficial. The current starting times favor convenience over educational goals. Even if the times were just moved up an hour, I know that my body for one would appreciate the change. Gaea Denker-Lehrman is a junior at Lincoln High School.