New school hours beginning this year

Students in the Clark County School District will be able to sleep in a little longer this coming school year or will have to set their alarm clocks a bit earlier.

Earlier this year, CCSD announced that for the 2026-2027 school year, which begins Aug. 10, that the times schools begin and end will be changing.

“The new school start times better align with the sleep needs of high school students,” said CCSD Superintendent Jhone Ebert when the announcement was made. “Research shows that later start time for high school students leads to more sleep, reduced anxiety and greater alertness, which in turn improves attendance, standardized test scores and graduation rates.”

According to CCSD’s website, it conducted two surveys and received approximately 90,000 responses.

“A majority of respondents were supportive of all options presented to update school start times,” it states.

Ultimately, CCSD chose an option that reflects a balance of three major factors: 1) Adolescent sleep science, particularly the stronger circadian delay documented in older adolescents (our 80,000 high school students) 2) Transportation tier constraints, which require staggered schedules to operate at scale 3) Student safety and supervision considerations, especially for elementary-aged children. Decisions often require balancing research, community input, and operational realities.

They will continue monitoring academic, attendance, and wellness indicators as implementation proceeds.

The new hours for the upcoming school year in Boulder City differ slightly than those in the Las Vegas Valley. Each principal was asked their thoughts and if the changes would impact families:

Boulder City High School: 8:30 a.m. - 2:41 p.m.

“This is a noticeable change for us since we previously began at 7:40 a.m., so students, families, and staff will certainly have an adjustment period as they settle into new morning and afternoon routines,” Principal Amy Wagner said. “At this time, I have not heard concerns or complaints from our families regarding drop-off, pick-up, or before- and after-school arrangements. We will continue to listen and respond if concerns arise once the school year begins, but so far, our community appears to be preparing for the change without significant issues.”

Garrett Junior High: 8:20 a.m. - 2:51 p.m.

“Garrett and BCHS have always started close in time to each other, so we are starting at 8:20 a.m., and the high school starts just 10 minute later,” Principal Melanie Teemant said. “I have not heard of any major impact on staff or parents that I am aware of, and we are ready to roll.”

Martha P. King Elementary: 9:10 a.m.- 3:31 p.m.

“We received special permission from the associate superintendent to make this change, allowing for a smoother drop-off and pick-up experience for families traveling between King and Mitchell,” Principal Jason Schrock said.

“This is only a 10-minute shift from last year, and we do not anticipate it creating any issues for our families. We appreciate the flexibility of the associate superintendent in allowing us to adjust our schedule slightly to better support both elementary schools.”

Andrew J. Mitchell Elementary: 9:15 a.m. - 3:26 p.m.

“We do not anticipate any problems as our start time is just 10 minutes later than last year,” Principal Tracy Echeverria said.

Sports and busing

In terms of school-based athletics for BCHS and Garrett, CCSD’s release stated schedules for athletics, clubs, and after-school activities are a site-based decision. Some athletic event start times may remain unchanged based on available daylight hours at varying times of year.

“The later start time will have some impact on athletics, primarily because of transportation and bus availability,” Wagner said.

For events hosted at CCSD schools, cross country and tennis competitions will now begin at 4 p.m., girls volleyball at 5:30 p.m., and winter flag football at 4 p.m. All other fall and winter sports will currently maintain their original schedules, while the impact on spring sports has not yet been determined, Wagner said.

“Overall, the change requires some logistical adjustments, but we are prepared to make it work and ensure that it does not interfere with the quality of the school experience we provide our students,” she said.

Busing of the students is a reason why schools can’t all simply start at 8 a.m. or 8:30 a.m.

Doing so would triple the district’s fleet, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“CCSD operates the largest school district-owned transportation system in the United States,” the website states. “Therefore, we have staggered school start times. Every day, each bus and driver pick up students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in the morning and afternoon. Adjusting one level’s start time directly affects the sequencing and feasibility of other routes. In evaluating scenarios, we analyzed route efficiency, driver availability, traffic flow, and arrival conditions across our 374 schools.”