JACKSON TWP — Schools will start later next school year at Seneca Valley, after the school board approved the time change at its Monday meeting.

Secondary students in grades 7 through 12 will start school at 8:09 a.m. and get out at 2:41 p.m. beginning in the 2018-19 school year. The start time was pushed back 35 minutes from the current schedule, but the dismissal time changes only 11 minutes.

Elementary students in Kindergarten through 6th grade will start school at 8:55 a.m. and end at 3:25 p.m. Currently, elementary schools in the district start at 8:40 a.m. and end at 3:10 p.m.

District administrators announced in February that they were considering the changes, citing the need to combat issues related to sleep deprivation in teenagers.

In addition to giving students more time to rest, the changes also fixed several logistical issues the district had with busing, administrators said.

Sleep deprivation can impair students' ability to be alert, pay attention, solve problems, cope with stress and retain information according to some experts. It can also create issues with students' general health and mental and behavioral health, administrators said.

In addition to surveying students, parents and teachers about sleep deprivation, administrators also compiled research from clinical studies and recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Sleep Foundation.

More information on the information collected and the time change can be found on the district's website at www.svsd.net/sleepstudy.