LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The Clark County School District will move middle school start times 30 minutes earlier to 7:30 a.m. next school year, while high school and elementary schools will start later.
Parents started asking questions about the middle school decision after it was announced Tuesday. The district previously started middle schools at 8 a.m.
CCSD officials cited research about sleep cycles in their decision to change school start times. CCSD officials said Tuesday that high schoolers are biologically wired to stay awake later and wake up later. High school start times are being moved from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. However, younger students’ biological clocks have not shifted as much, according to the district.
“So many things went into making that decision. The research does show that adolescent time frame. And when you get into that eighth-grade level, you start to see that biological shift. So, it’s not really the sixth graders and seventh graders. It is though at the eighth grade. So, we did actually take that into consideration,” said CCSD Superintendent Jhone Ebert.
FOX5 also asked the district why middle school start times were moved earlier rather than keeping them the same, given that middle schoolers haven’t quite seen the biological shift in sleep patterns, compared to older students. FOX5 is waiting to hear back on that question.
Bus schedule changes planned
The district will add 51 bus drivers to accommodate the start time changes. CCSD said it will take time to finalize bus schedules, but parents should receive notice of more than three months.
Bus schedules are expected to be sent to parents at the end of April. The 2026-2027 school year starts August 10, 2026.
Parents have previously complained about bus schedule changes, particularly due to bus driver shortages.
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