I’m looking to find public schools on the East Coast with later start and end times—around 9am to 4pm. Most schools I know of start much earlier, so I’m curious if there are districts shifting to later schedules. Any insights?
Check out Start School Later. They might have a list, and they usually post updates about schools moving to later start times on Facebook.
Florida has a law taking effect in 2026 that prevents high schools from starting before 8 am. Some districts plan to flip schedules, so high school might start at 8 or 9, while elementary starts at 7.
In my district, middle schools run from 8:45 to 3:45. We stagger bus times: elementary goes first, then high school, and then middle school.
Lilly said:
In my district, middle schools run from 8:45 to 3:45. We stagger bus times: elementary goes first, then high school, and then middle school.
Same setup here. Works pretty well.
Our district starts middle and high school at 9:30 (doors open at 8:45), and we finish around 4:20. I coach sports, and it’s been rough for athletes to get to practice on time with these hours. Northern Virginia here, and we’re a big district.
Racey said:
@Lynskey
That sounds pretty late! Any chance they’d consider morning practice?
Sometimes they do, but it’s not consistent. Honestly, I think 9:30 is way too late. It feels like a compromise gone too far and just doesn’t seem practical to me.
Some NYC high schools run a 10-period day, though teachers only work 8. I know people who start teaching around period 3 and finish at 4. It’s kind of like 9-4 for them.
Candy said:
Some NYC high schools run a 10-period day, though teachers only work 8. I know people who start teaching around period 3 and finish at 4. It’s kind of like 9-4 for them.
I teach in NYC, and I haven’t seen this. Most schools I know run 8 periods from about 8:30 to 2:45. Teaching all 8 periods doesn’t seem likely due to union limits, though some high schools do use block schedules.
@lindah
I meant that teachers typically have an 8-period day but start at different times. So, some might work periods 3 to 10. Not all teachers work all 10 periods.
Candy said:
Some NYC high schools run a 10-period day, though teachers only work 8. I know people who start teaching around period 3 and finish at 4. It’s kind of like 9-4 for them.
10 periods sounds intense!
Here in East Coast Canada, it’s more common to see 8-3 schedules. If school ended later, students would be going home in the dark during winter months.
Brandy said:
Here in East Coast Canada, it’s more common to see 8-3 schedules. If school ended later, students would be going home in the dark during winter months.
On the northern west coast, our hours were closer to 9-4. We’d leave for school in the dark during winter, and some after-school activities would end after sunset.
I work in an Ohio district with staggered start times from 8-3 to 9-4. Teens start earlier so they can work or help with younger siblings who go from 9-4. Unfortunately, this setup makes teens act as primary caregivers too often, and some come in late because of sibling responsibilities.
Schools around the University of Virginia tend to start around those hours.
irmah said:
Schools around the University of Virginia tend to start around those hours.
Yeah, a lot of VA schools are like this. I was surprised when I moved to Texas and found different hours.
In NYC, there are some transfer schools that start around 9:30. These schools serve older students who need extra credits, so they often focus on project-based learning.