La Jolla High School Announces Later Start Time

With more than two decades of experience in the field of education, Chuck Podhorsky serves as the principal of La Jolla High School, a school within the San Diego Unified School District. Among his recent activities in the position, Chuck Podhorsky announced La Jolla High School will move its start time forward to 8:35 a.m. as part of a pilot program.

For many years, members of the public and teaching staff had debated the pros and cons of changing the start time. The pilot program moved ahead after a meeting between the school’s Site Governance Team and the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). As of April 29, 2019, La Jolla High School classes start at 8:35 a.m. and end at 3:16 p.m. Previously, the school had begun classes at 7:25 a.m. 

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Pediatrics support a later start, citing health and wellness concerns for young people. If the pilot program, which also includes the Muirlands Middle School and the School of Creative & Performing Arts, is considered a success, it will continue.