Spokane families are concerned about Spokane Public Schools’ proposed 7:30 a.m. start time for middle school students.

Our middle schoolers are only 11–14 years old. They are becoming more independent, but they still need significant sleep, structure, and parental support. Research consistently shows that adolescents need more sleep and that early school start times can negatively affect their health, learning, and overall well-being.

But our concerns go beyond sleep.

A 7:30 a.m. start time means some students will be walking or biking to school in the dark during Spokane winters. It also means an earlier dismissal, leaving many middle schoolers home alone for hours while their parents are still at work.

Elementary students have access to the district’s EXPRESS program, but middle school students do not have the same option. For working families, that difference matters.

We recognize that scheduling an entire school district is complicated and that there may not be a perfect solution. But when considering changes to school schedules, the district should prioritize the biological, developmental, and safety needs of our students.

One of our own Spokane physicians and SPS parent, Dr. Kiran Gill DO, MBA, shared this perspective:

“Unfortunately, our society is structured around adult circadian rhythms that do not align with adolescent biology. Approximately 70–90% of growth hormone secretion occurs during sleep, making adequate nighttime sleep essential during adolescence. Puberty shifts the adolescent circadian clock later, with melatonin onset occurring about two hours later than in childhood. As a result, many teenagers are biologically unable to fall asleep before 11 PM or wake comfortably before 8 AM.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 8–10 hours of sleep for adolescents and supports school start times of 8:30 AM or later, specifically for middle and high school students. I understand transportation has financial constraints, but should logistical considerations outweigh teenagers’ biological needs? We already face a generation struggling with anxiety and depression—how will chronic sleep deprivation affect their emotional and mental well-being?”

Our request is simple:

• Do not require any adolescent student to start school at 7:30 a.m.
• Prioritize the age, safety, health, and developmental needs of our students when weighing transportation logistics and financial costs.

Please choose a school schedule that works for our children—not one that asks them to adapt to a schedule designed primarily around logistics and cost.

Sign and share this petition to help us ask the Spokane School Board to reconsider the proposed 7:30 a.m. start time for adolescents.