Connecticut high school plans to start classes one hour later

GREENWICH, Connecticut (WABC) -- There is mixed reaction to a plan to start schools later in the morning in Greenwich, Connecticut. Instead of starting at 7:30 a.m. for example, the high school will start at 8:30. Some say it's great because kids need the sleep, other say it creates more problems.

Any parent of a teenager will tell you it's hard waking their kids up, and so that's why the Greenwich School Board of Education has voted to push back the start of class from 7:30 until 8:30 a.m.

Experts say sleep deprivation puts adolescents at a risk of physical, mental and emotional disorders. In a survey, 97 percent of students at Greenwich High School said they didn't get the 8 - 91/2 hours of sleep recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"I feel like I'm staying up...it's really helpful," says student Nikki Comizio.

However, not everyone is on board. Many parents and students say the change would negatively impact scheduling extracurricular activities, especially sports.

"I think their evenings are packed with events after school," says parent Colm McDermott.

Some favor a compromise that would feature a later start one day a week.