HLS 24RS-2860 ORIGINAL
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 72
BY REPRESENTATIVE LAFLEUR
SCHOOLS: Requests that the state Department of Education study and report relative to
school start times
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the State Department of Education to conduct a comprehensive study
3 on school start times and submit a written report of findings and recommendations
4 to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education not
5 later than February 1, 2025.
6 WHEREAS, sufficient sleep is essential for the healthy development and daily
7functioning of children and adolescents, and emerging research suggests that later school
8start times promote better sleep hygiene, which leads to improved health, academic
9performance, graduation rates, school attendance, behavior, and overall well-being among
10students; and
11 WHEREAS, a significant number of schools and school districts in Louisiana suffer
12from high rates of truancy and chronic absenteeism and low academic achievement; and
13 WHEREAS, adjusting school start times to align more closely with adolescents'
14natural sleep is an evidence-based strategy to improve attendance rates, enhance students'
15ability to learn, and contribute to the overall success and welfare of Louisiana's youth; and
16 WHEREAS, research demonstrates that the majority of adolescents are sleep
17deprived at school, that the natural biological rhythms of adolescents are a poor fit with early
18school start times, and that most adolescents get their best sleep between 11:00 p.m. and
198:00 a.m.; and
20 WHEREAS, many national organizations, such as the American Academy of
21Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
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HCR NO. 72
1Prevention, recommend later school start times, particularly for middle school and high
2school students; and
3 WHEREAS, the need to start the high school day later is a public health concern;
4sleep loss in adolescents has been associated with increased risk of obesity, eating disorders,
5and cardiovascular morbidity, which are likely to lead to increasingly poor health and mental
6instability as adolescents progress to adulthood; and
7 WHEREAS, additionally, research identifies numerous consequences and impacts
8on adolescent brain development associated with sleep deprivation, including lack of
9attention to learning tasks, poor retention of information taught, low grades, increased risk
10of automobile accidents, increased disciplinary problems, impaired judgment, increased
11suicidal thinking, increased levels of anxiety and depression, decreased motivation,
12increased substance abuse, and other negative consequences; and
13 WHEREAS, the community can support parents and families to ensure that
14adolescents get appropriate sleep by adjusting school schedules; even small changes to
15school start times can result in significant improvements to student health and academic
16performance; and
17 WHEREAS, school districts have flexibility in setting calendars and school start
18times and would benefit from an analysis of how later school start times may benefit
19students, including research on best practices from other states; and
20 WHEREAS, it is appropriate that the impact of school start times on student health
21and performance receive a thorough evaluation.
22 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
23urge and request the state Department of Education to conduct a comprehensive study on
24school start times and submit a written report of findings and recommendations to the House
25Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education not later than February 1,
262025.
27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department shall:
28 (1) Evaluate school start times across the state with a particular focus on middle and
29high schools.
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HCR NO. 72
1 (2) Assess potential benefits and challenges associated with later school start times,
2including impacts on student achievement, truancy, chronic absenteeism, and student health
3and well-being.
4 (3) Examine the scientific evidence regarding adolescent sleep needs and the impact
5of school start times on sleep.
6 (4) Explore the logistical, financial, and community implications of adjusting school
7start times.
8 (5) Engage and consult with stakeholders, including students, parents, educators, and
9community members, to gather diverse perspectives and insights on the issue.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report shall include a comprehensive
11overview of findings, recommendations for potential adjustments to school start times, and
12proposed strategies for implementing any recommended changes and shall address potential
13challenges and outline steps for successful transition.
14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
15president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state
16superintendent of education.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 72 Original 2024 Regular Session LaFleur
Requests that the state Dept. of Education study school start times and submit a written
report of findings and recommendations to the House and Senate education committees not
later than Feb. 1, 2025.
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