On Monday, students in the San Bernardino City Unified School District returned to school, marking an unusually early start to the 2023-2024 academic year. Students across the district, including those at Highland Pacific Elementary School in Highland, were welcomed with a red carpet to make the first day special.
This early school year commencement coincides with later start times for middle and high school students in keeping with SB 328. The bill was enacted in response to research findings that students, particularly those in middle and high school, benefit from more sleep and later school start times.
Superintendent Mauricio Arellano, who started his new role on the same day, explained the reasoning behind the schedule changes. He said, “The research was clear for the older kids that they needed that sleep and a little later start. We chose not to change the elementary schedules because we heard from our community that they did not want many changes to the elementary school schedule.”
Elementary schools across the district will begin their school days at 8:50 a.m., while middle and high schools are scheduled to start at 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., respectively.
The changes in San Bernardino’s school system highlight the ongoing efforts to adapt education to better accommodate students’ needs. This shift could indicate a broader trend towards adjusting school schedules for the benefit of students’ well-being and academic performance.