Imagine this: you've just finished a long day at school, and it's time for after-school rehearsals. You're looking at the clock, hoping to finish early enough to get home and rest for the next day. But now, due to the new regulation in Virginia Beach, that extra 10 minutes added to the school day because of a voting day can mean everything. Instead of getting out of rehearsals by 11:00 PM, I and many of my classmates now often find ourselves dragging our exhausted selves out of school as late as midnight.

The city of Virginia Beach recently decided to extend the school day by 10 minutes to make up for time missed on voting day. But this seemingly small change has a big impact on students like me who are involved in after-school activities. It affects our health, our ability to focus, and our ability to get a good night's sleep. Those 10 minutes might not seem like a lot, but they extend into our crucial evening hours.

Studies have shown that lack of sufficient sleep in teenagers can negatively affect academic performance, health, and emotional well-being. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 70% of high school students get less than the recommended eight hours of sleep on school nights. Adding to this problem by prolonging school hours, even by a mere 10 minutes, is counterproductive.

We understand that compensating for school days missed due to voting is important, but surely there are other methods that would not put such a strain on students. We propose alternatives such as rescheduling those minutes elsewhere, perhaps by shortening breaks in periods leading up to the voting day, or allocating specific make-up days that don’t interfere with ongoing classes.

Let’s keep the welfare of our students in mind and reconsider this policy. We urge the school board and city officials to recognize the unintended consequences of this extension and remove the extra 10 minutes added to the school days immediately.

Please sign this petition to bring back a balance to the time that students spend in school and ensure that those involved in after-school activities won't have to sacrifice their well-being. Stand with us in advocating for a change that places student health and education first.