Changing School Start Times Would Save $9 Billion Per Year

Over the years, communities have raised the issue of shifting school start hours for a variety of causes. Some believe it improves student learning, while others believe it would reduce morning traffic. The social advantages are just one reason why this would be a smart idea, though. Additionally, doing this has a significant financial benefit that defies popular objections of the strategy.

Some people worry that starting later might somehow raise prices for items like transportation. A recent study may have found a straightforward method to boost the US economy by billions of dollars: delaying school start hours. According to a recent research by the RAND Corporation and RAND Europe, bringing middle and high schools' first bells to 8:30 a.m. would boost the economy by $9.3 billion in the coming year and $83 billion over the following ten years. Hence, after fifteen years, they would increase to $140 billion. Lower accident rates and improved academic performance are a couple of the advantages.