ENROLLED
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 72
BY REPRESENTATIVES LAFLEUR, BAYHAM, BOYD, BRASS, CARPENTER,
CARVER, CHASSION, DICKERSON, FREIBERG, GREEN, JORDAN, KNOX,
LYONS, MARCELLE, MENA, SCHLEGEL, SELDERS, TAYLOR, WILLARD,
AND YOUNG
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To create a task force and urge and request the State Department of Education to conduct a
comprehensive study on school start times and submit written reports of findings and
recommendations to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee
on Education not later than February 1, 2025.
WHEREAS, sufficient sleep is essential for the healthy development and daily
functioning of children and adolescents, and emerging research suggests that later school
start times promote better sleep hygiene, which leads to improved health, academic
performance, graduation rates, school attendance, behavior, and overall well-being among
students; and
WHEREAS, a significant number of schools and school districts in Louisiana suffer
from high rates of truancy and chronic absenteeism and low academic achievement; and
WHEREAS, adjusting school start times to align more closely with adolescents'
natural sleep is an evidence-based strategy to improve attendance rates, enhance students'
ability to learn, and contribute to the overall success and welfare of Louisiana's youth; and
WHEREAS, research demonstrates that the majority of adolescents are sleep
deprived at school, that the natural biological rhythms of adolescents are a poor fit with early
school start times, and that most adolescents get their best sleep between 11:00 p.m. and
8:00 a.m.; and
WHEREAS, many national organizations, such as the American Academy of
Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, recommend later school start times, particularly for middle school and high
school students; and
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WHEREAS, the need to start the high school day later is a public health concern;
sleep loss in adolescents has been associated with increased risk of obesity, eating disorders,
and cardiovascular morbidity, which are likely to lead to increasingly poor health and mental
instability as adolescents progress to adulthood; and
WHEREAS, additionally, research identifies numerous consequences and impacts
on adolescent brain development associated with sleep deprivation, including lack of
attention to learning tasks, poor retention of information taught, low grades, increased risk
of automobile accidents, increased disciplinary problems, impaired judgment, increased
suicidal thinking, increased levels of anxiety and depression, decreased motivation,
increased substance abuse, and other negative consequences; and
WHEREAS, the community can support parents and families to ensure that
adolescents get appropriate sleep by adjusting school schedules; even small changes to
school start times can result in significant improvements to student health and academic
performance; and
WHEREAS, school districts have flexibility in setting calendars and school start
times and would benefit from an analysis of how later school start times may benefit
students, including research on best practices from other states; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate that the impact of school start times on student health
and performance receive a thorough evaluation.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
create a task force and urge and request the state Department of Education to conduct a
comprehensive study on school start times and submit written reports of findings and
recommendations to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on
Education not later than February 1, 2025.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of the
following members:
(1) The state superintendent of education or his designee.
(2) The president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or his
designee.
(3) One member appointed by the chief executive officer of the Baton Rouge Area
Chamber.
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(4) One member appointed by the president of the Council for a Better Louisiana.
(5) One member appointed by the president of the Louisiana Association of Business
and Industry.
(6) One member appointed by the president of the Louisiana Association of
Educators.
(7) One member appointed by the executive director of the Louisiana District
Attorneys Association.
(8) One member appointed by the president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.
(9) One member appointed by the executive director of the Louisiana School Boards
Association.
(10) One member appointed by the executive director of the Louisiana School
Superintendents Association.
(11) One member appointed by the president of the Public Affairs Research Council
of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the member appointed by the chief executive
officer of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber shall chair the task force and shall call the first
meeting no later than August 30, 2024.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force and department shall
simultaneously do the following:
(1) Evaluate school start times across the state with a particular focus on middle and
high schools.
(2) Assess potential benefits and challenges associated with later school start times,
including impacts on student achievement, truancy, chronic absenteeism, and student health
and well-being.
(3) Examine the scientific evidence regarding adolescent sleep needs and the impact
of school start times on sleep.
(4) Explore the logistical, financial, and community implications of adjusting school
start times.
(5) Engage and consult with stakeholders, including students, parents, educators, and
community members, to gather diverse perspectives and insights on the issue.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force's and department's reports shall
respectively include a comprehensive overview of findings, recommendations for potential
adjustments to school start times, and proposed strategies for implementing any
recommended changes and shall address potential challenges and outline steps for successful
transition.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state
superintendent of education.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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