Think later start times are “great in an ideal world”—but pie in the sky in the real one? Think again.
If you’ve ever wondered whether later school start times are actually doable—and not just in research papers or in districts with unusual circumstances—I want to point you to something worth an hour of your time.
On May 1, 2026, the Regional Adolescent Sleep Needs Coalition (RASNC) hosted a webinar featuring seven superintendents from across Pennsylvania whose districts have already shifted to healthier, later secondary school start times. These are not theorists or advocates. These are the people who had to solve the transportation puzzles, negotiate the contracts, calm the fears, and answer to their communities.
And once you hear them, I guarantee you’ll think differently.
Why This Hour Is Worth It
I know: it’s hard to get anyone to invest precious time in an hour-long video. But if you’re serious about doing this—or if you’re still wondering whether it really can be done, even though you know it should be done—this hour can change everything.
These leaders don’t speak in hypotheticals. They speak from their own lived experience. They have taken the leap, lived to tell the tale, and they’re not going back.
What Jumps Out When You Listen to Them
Certain themes emerge recurrently. They reinforce lessons that researchers and advocates have gleaned from other districts over the years and that I have described in the past. But they take on new resonance when spoken by the people who actually had to implement the change.
1. There is no one-size-fits-all solution
Every superintendent says some version of this. Different geography. Different transportation systems. Different contracts. Different community cultures.
And yet every one of them found a way to run schools while giving students an opportunity to get healthy sleep.
“The way each district is going to accomplish this is going to be different.”
—Dr. Michael Loughead, Hampton Township SD“Please recognize there is no one‑size‑fits‑all. You need to make a schedule that makes sense for your district.”
—Dr. Marc Bertrando, Garnet Valley SD
Make no mistake: The lack of a single solution is not the same as the lack of any solution. There are many ways to schedule schools. It’s just that the right way for any given district is not, and should not be, the right way for another.
And, of course, for every district the wrong way is a schedule that jeopardizes student health, safety, and well-being.
2. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
It sounds cliché until you hear superintendent after superintendent describe how they perservered:
“The non‑negotiable with me and the board was: we’re moving our start time.”
—Dr. Tracy Vitale, Seneca Valley SD“If it’s good for kids, we have to find a way to do this.”
— Dr. Michael Loughead, Hampton Township SD (quoting his board president)
When leaders decide to lead, and particularly when they set later, healthier start times as a non-negotiable goal, obstacles become solvable problems instead of immovable barriers.
3. Community engagement and preparation are vital.
Every superintendent stressed that you cannot spring this on a community. People need time to have their concerns heard, play a part in forging solutions to logistical challenges, and prepare for change—because school schedules affect just about every aspect of community life.
“We gave our community 18 months notice…and I would send out an annoying email every month on a countdown.”
— Dr. Thomas A. Smith, Pennsbury SD
Superintendents mentioned forums and Q&A sessions, surveying students and parents about their needs and lifestyles, and other steps to ensure they heard, and worked with, students, parents, teachers, staff, coaches, and community leaders.
For example:
Ephrata held community forums with physicians and students.
Seneca Valley spent two years researching, modeling, and communicating.
Upper Darby held 50+ meetings before implementation.
Garnet Valley emphasized transparency and listening sessions.
4. Perceived obstacles are just that—perceived.
Transportation? Athletics? Childcare? Every district had concerns. Every district found solutions.
Some got creative with bus tiers.
Some leveraged online learning.
Some created flexible instructional blocks.
Some extended the day by a few minutes.
Some didn’t change sports at all.
“We were able to do this without adding any additional routes, without any additional cost.”
— Dr. Thomas A. Smith, Pennsbury SD“We were able to flip and swap our middle school and high school start time…with very minimal disruption financially.”
— Dr. Michael Loughead, Hampton Township SD
And then there’s Upper Darby—a district that didn’t just avoid extra costs, but actually saved money and solved other problems in the process.
“It also saved us money….Pushing it back saved us about a million to two million dollars.”
—Dr. Daniel P. McGarry, Upper Darby SD
Upper Darby’s shift not only saved money. It also helped them:
fix a chaotic lunch system
reduce morning staffing stress
improve teacher retention
manage transportation shortages
create flexible pathways to graduation
reduce crowding at their 4,000‑student high school
Across districts the message is consistent: this change is manageable—and often far less disruptive than originally feared.
5. The positives for kids are undeniable.
Before the change communities typically experienced anxiety, fear, resistance. And after?
Happier kids
More alert mornings
Better mood
Better engagement
Better attendance
Better safety
Meanwhile, the loudest critics? They often become the loudest supporters.
“The positives for the kids are undeniable.”
— Dr. Michael Loughead, Hampton Township SD“For us, it’s been now five or six years…and we haven’t regretted a minute of it.”
— Dr. Marc Bertrando, Garnet Valley SD“We have made it clear that we’re not changing back.”
— Dr. Thomas A. Smith, Pennsbury SD
Once you see what rested students look like, it’s amazing how many people stop asking whether later start times work and start asking why they waited so long.
6. Keep reiterating the science—because people often forget the “why.”
Superintendents emphasized this repeatedly: You cannot assume people remember the biology.
You have to keep reminding them:
Teens cannot fall asleep early.
Early bells force them awake in their biological night.
Sleep deprivation harms learning, mental health, and safety.
Later start times are the only proven system-level fix.
Communicating the science behind these statements is essential because the fastest way to get communities to support the “how” is to remind them of the “why.” The science is the anchor.
7. Sustained advocacy matters.
None of these districts did this alone. They succeeded because of some or all of the following:
Scientists and physicians educated the community
School board members ran on this platform
Parents and advocates kept the issue alive
Regional and national networks shared resources
Collaboration with other districts, health professionals, researchers, and advocates accelerates everything. People can share resources and sidestep blind alleys. And hearing about success in one district can breed success in another.
It Can Be Done
If there’s one central message these superintendents drive home, it’s this: leaders who want to get this done can find a feasible and affordable way to get it done.
Districts that approach this work with flexibility, creativity, and a willingness to question long‑held assumptions discover that the perceived obstacles are nonexistent, temporary, or at worst overblown and resolvable. And when leaders follow best practices in change management, authentically and respectfully engage with their communities, collaborate with those who’ve gone before, and keep the students (and the science) at the center of every decision, they inevitably find a practical path forward.
The superintendents in this webinar didn’t wait for perfect conditions or perfect solutions. They led because they knew doing nothing was doing harm. And their leadership shows later start times to be a realistic, achievable, and profoundly beneficial choice for any community willing to put kids first.
Spot on.