The early bird gets the worm – or does it? Schools’ early starts can be damaging young minds mentally and physically and ruining their education. Between the tardies and the half-awake students in class, a later start to school can improve the quality and quantity of a student’s education.

Santiago starts at 7:32, but for students to be on time to school they wake up around 5:30 every morning. Students themselves may not realize what the lack of sleep is doing not only to their education but to their livelihood. According to The Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the normal amount of sleep teenagers need is between nine and nine and a half hours per night. However, the CDC annually finds that only one in three students get eight or more hours of sleep each night.

Other studies show not only a jump in attendance and graduation rate from later starting schools, but there are links between sleep deprivation and car accidents, criminal activity, depression and suicide attempts among teens. A study in 2014 of eight public high schools concluded that the number of car crashes of teen drivers was reduced after a shift of school start times to an hour and twenty minutes later than previous start times.

The question is – Why do schools start early in the first place? Economically, it is more cost-efficient for schools to start earlier. The cost of bussing at a later time would increase the amount of money already spent. Also, with starting later, after-school programs would fall further into the evening. On the other hand, could it be the possibility that schools are partial to the idea of preserving old traditions?

However, the science has not gone unnoticed by some lawmakers. As of 2016, Maryland proposed the Orange Ribbon Bill for Healthy School Hours that encourages schools to apply later start times for schools. New Jersey has passed a bill that will research the issue before implementing a pilot program.

As the issue gains more debate, students will still wake up at absurd hours and lose a bit more of their education. How much longer will schools value sports over academics and costs over education?