School days for middle and high school students throughout Florida would begin later under a proposed measure currently before the state legislature.
Filed on Feb. 10 by State Rep. John Paul Temple (R-Wildwood), HB 733 would require that middle school classes begin no earlier than 8:a.m. and that high school classes begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m. on grounds that earlier class start times promote sleep deprivation and negatively affect students’ learning, safety and overall well being.
At the Hernando County School District, current beginning bell times at Central High School are 7:20 a.m.; 7:25 a.m. at Endeavor Academy; 7:15 a.m. at Hernando High School; 7:20 a.m. at Nature Coast Technical High School; 7:20 a.m. at Springstead High School and 7:20 a.m. At Weeki Wachee High School. Beginning bell times at the DS Parriott, Fox Chapel Powell, and West Hernando middle schools is currently 9:10 a.m.
Also, under the measure, each school district must inform its community, “including parents, students, teachers, school administrators, athletic coaches, and other stakeholders, about the health, safety, and academic impacts of sleep deprivation on middle school and high school students and the benefits of a later school start time.”
They are also required to consider strategies to implement the later school daily start times.
No one from the Hernando County School District was available to comment on the proposed legislation.
If signed into law, HB 733 would become effective in July 2026.
