My classmates and I at East Surry High School are concerned about the change in our school start time from 8:10 a.m. last year to 7:45 a.m. this upcoming school year. Like many students, I have responsibilities outside of school, including homework, extracurricular activities, and spending time with my family. Because of these responsibilities, getting enough sleep can already be difficult, and starting school earlier could make that even harder for many students. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teenagers should get between 8 and 10 hours of sleep each night. Many high school students already struggle to get enough sleep, and moving our start time earlier could make that issue worse. Not getting enough sleep can make it harder to focus in class, affect grades, increase stress, and make students feel tired throughout the school day. The American Academy of Pediatrics has also found that later school start times can benefit students’ mental health and help them be more alert during the day. Keeping our first period start time at 8:10 a.m., like we had last year, would better support the sleep needs of teenagers and allow students to come to school more prepared to learn. Keeping the 8:10 a.m. start time could also help with student safety. A later start gives some students more time to get to school safely and may help avoid some of the issues caused by rushing during the morning commute. Another concern is transportation for families. Some high school students have to drop off younger siblings at elementary schools before coming to East Surry. For example, Shoals Elementary does not open its doors until 7:35 a.m. This gives students very little time to get from Shoals to East Surry before first period begins at 7:45. Even without speeding, this can be stressful and creates a difficult situation for students and families. I am asking our school administration and Board of Education to consider keeping the 8:10 a.m. start time that students had last year. This is not about making a random change, but about continuing a schedule that students are already used to and that supports their health, safety, and ability to learn. Please consider signing this petition to show your support for keeping East Surry’s first period start time at 8:10 a.m.