We high school students, the parents of children, and just concerned civilians in the greater Fort Bend area are deeply upset about the upcoming changes concerning the school hours for Lamar CISD 2023-2024 school year. These are the changes for reference:

These hours simply do not work well with our personal lives for a multitude of reasons. For example, unfortunately not all parents are able to afford accommodation for their little ones afterschool, whether that be the inability to afford daycare or a private babysitter, and coming home earlier than their elder siblings and peers worsens this for many parents, forcing them to change their work schedules or sometimes just hoping their children make it back safe. With the recent increase in child kidnappings in the area, having the youngest kids come home first with no older siblings to watch for them increases their chances of being kidnapped and increases stress levels for everyone. Ensuring that elementary students start and finish at a time later than their older peers creates a better, safer environment for everyone. As an older sister with two working parents, I cannot bear to have my younger sibling of 8 years come home to nobody, and that further effects my stress levels as a Junior here in LCISD. Allowing later set times for younger kids gives the older students with transportation motives and cars the ability to pick up their siblings as well, and creating a happier, safer environment for everyone. Starting later is also healthier for growing kids as waking up later actually creates healthier, more impactful learning environments that can and will be reflected in the overall scores if the elementary school hours are set to a start time of 9:05.

High schoolers take on a brute challenge of school work, assignments, sports, competitions, and all other rigorous extracurricular activities to build up their resume for college during the 4 years in which they attend school. High schoolers all throughout are always complaining about how long school is, and with good reason. Starting later means ending later, and that is especially not good for afterschool activities and out-of-school commitments. It is a struggle to plan and do things when school is ending for these kids at basically 4 pm, and allowing them to start earlier from 7:25 to 2:40 is very beneficial to their stress levels, their schedules, and their wellbeing. Allowing them to start and end earlier than everyone else will allow them to academically do better as they will have more time in the day to complete assignments. Most students don't get home until about 5pm realistically, before showering and eating, and then it becomes 6pm before they know it. Staying up late rushing to finish assignments and losing in on sleep is very inefficient to the mental health of many students here at LCISD. I often hear others struggle with basic self-care and contemplate many self-harming activities and sometimes even suicide due to the stress of it all. Allowing them to start early gives them more time to do the things required from them and to rest, allowing them to live healthier lives and cut down on harmful behaviors and patterns. This early high school start time also allows students here in LCISD to be academically competent with their peers in Katy who thrive with early school hours. 

We need to change these school hours for the upcoming school year and we need to do it fast, as students, teachers, and parents all over have consistently concerned about the wellbeing of their children, and this fixation on a schedule that doesn't coordinate well with majority of the people attending LCISD schools is impactful on everyone by deteriorating and worsening the stresses and hardships already found. Please be considerate to changing your schedule for the better of this district. Thank you.