FUHSD schools will start later to give kids enough sleep

23.2 percent of FUHSD students responded to severe sleep deprivation23.2 percent of FUHSD students responded to severe sleep deprivation.

Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) students will have a later start to the school day beginning next school year.

That is the result of the work of the District’s Community Taskforce on Student Wellness means the five schools in FUHSD will start school at 8 a.m. That will delay the current start time by 25 minutes for Monta Vista High, Lynbrook High, Cupertino High and Fremont High, and by 10 minutes for Homestead High.

In an April 2017 Student Wellness Survey focused on start time and sleep deprivation, 23.2 percent of students responded to severe sleep deprivation, reporting that they only get six hours or less of sleep per night.

The later start time came as the result of the taskforce’s recommended solutions. While the change doesn’t go into effect until the beginning of next school year,  students were able to experience the change during finals week in December, where exams were set to begin at 8 a.m. or later.

The Community Taskforce on Student Wellness was launched in January 2016 and is led by a group of students, staff and community members. The Taskforce’s focus for action is to recognize and address that “Students struggle with wellness, school-life balance and stress, and sleep deprivation,” according to the FUHSD website. 

The Taskforce is also in charge of monitoring other wellness issues the students might face, such as health issues and mental health.