Starting in 2022, high schools in California are starting classes at 8:30 A.M., instead of the usual 8 o’clock. Bill No. 328 was made mandatory by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019, just now coming into effect for the 2022-2023 school year. The law was created for teenagers to get more rest and therefore improve their grades. According to Lozano Smith’s Client News Brief, “The reasoning behind this new law is based on studies showing increased academic performance, school attendance, and health for students at schools that started later in the day.” Although this bill has good intentions, it fails to acknowledge some of the problems that come with it.

Not only is this new law affecting students but it also affects teachers and staff as well. Mr. Phelps, a math teacher and softball coach at North High School, believes that the schedule is not as great as it makes it out to be. He brings his personal experience from the start of the year, “I know they were saying that it would affect the way- it would fix the tardy problem we had with students being tardy all the time, and I haven’t seen that happen yet. I still think we have a fair amount of people tardy now as we did beforehand. So, I’m not sure that was such a great idea on that part.” 

Ms. Ford has also been asked about the topic of the new schedule this year. In her words, “There are problems with it, but as far as I know, they cannot be resolved by the school or school district.” One of the problems Ford lists is that the schedule affects parents with children at different grade levels. Not only do their children start school at separate times but they sometimes also need to get to work themselves. 

Class President of 2025, Leilani Aguirre, agrees with the unfortunate timing of the new plan for families. She feels that “the new bell schedule messes up with a lot of working parents’ schedules in the morning and afternoon. […] This means that kids will be dropped off early with nothing to do.” If this happens to a student, they may have less time to get ready at home and come to school unprepared.

Both teachers agreed that the schedule affects after-school clubs, sports, band, and extracurricular activities because students leave class later.  Phelps explains, “When we change our clocks in November, then we’re going to have even less time after school for outside activities to take place and so that’s going to affect us greatly in that situation.” Ford also brings up the point of zero period, field trips, and senior sunrise still being permitted despite being before the mandated time. 

The bell schedule proves itself to be a bit contradictory in its purpose, as well as unhelpful to those who are constantly involved in school activities and organizations. Since the district has no control over this new law, there does not seem to be any changes being made to it soon. Many students and staff are aware of the consequences of this schedule, however, different schools around the state may have different opinions. Overall though, North does not seem to like this new change.