My name is Nikolas Howell, and I attend Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Many of my classmates and I have found that the start time for high schools in Okaloosa County is far too early and detrimental to students, and I believe that it should be replaced. The current 2018-2019 start time for Okaloosa County high schools is 7:00 a.m. During my time at Okaloosa County school's, especially Choctawhatchee High School, I have found that this start time for schools if far too early and is negatively affecting students. I see from personal experience the morning scene in the hallway with students yawning their way to class while consuming unhealthy amounts of Redbull and coffee.

Additionally, the school district has chosen to ignore studies published by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and many other government organizations that urge school districts to delay the start of classes to 8:30 a.m. or later for high schools. This being because as adolescents mature, they experience significant hormonal changes. This causes a major shift in our sleep cycles that don't release melatonin until approximately 11:00 p.m. This means that the majority of students who wake up around 5:30 a.m. are only getting 6.5 hours of sleep. The nationally recommended average is 9 hours.

Nonetheless, I feel that Okaloosa County high schools should adopt the nationally recommended school start time of 8:30 a.m. or later.