Matt Gaetz files bill for later high schools start times

in Uncategorized by

Rep. Matt Gaetz wants high schoolers to catch up on sleep for school days.

Monday, Gaetz filed HB 67 for the 2014 legislative session, a bill that would prohibit school boards from starting high school classes earlier than 8 a.m.

The Fort Walton Beach Republican believes that later school start times will provide more teenagers more sleep, something that is impossible if students have to leave for school before dawn. The extra rest will help them perform at their most alert levels, and promotes an overall healthier lifestyle.

Early start times for high schoolers have been a growing issue across the country, and is particularly significant in Gaetz’s home region of Okaloosa County. The Fort Walton Beach High School begins classes at 7 a.m.

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including SaintPetersBlog.com, FloridaPolitics.com, ContextFlorida.com, and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. SaintPetersBlog has for three years running been ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.