BRAC findings show lack of sleep plaguing Capital Region schools, proposed later start times [Video]

BATON ROUGE – Alarm clocks could be set back a little later in the morning for some students and parents, if a bill is passed.

Mia Holliday’s alarm goes off every weekday morning at 4:45 a.m. She gets out of bed before her two sons, who attend East Baton Rouge Parish public schools, to wake them up around 5 a.m. The bus picks up one of her sons around 5:32 a.m., the other eight minutes later. Their school days start at 7 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. 

If House Bill 725 is passed during the regular legislative session, all public middle schools in the state would start no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

“It would just give them an hour more rest,” Holliday said. “It would just be greater for me cause I wouldn’t have to get up and make sure they’re up on …