CDC: HS classes should start later

WASHINGTON -- Teenagers who want school to start later in the morning now have a powerful ally.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended schools push back start times until 8:30.

The agency says a later start would help students get the 8-and-half to 9-and- a-half hours of sleep they need to perform better.

It will also decrease the likelihood of being overweight or developing depression.

Right now, only 18-percent of schools start at 8:30.

School administrators say transportation costs and scheduling after-school activities make it difficult to push the start time back.

But we have seen it work in other parts of the country.

So I think if they gather enough evidence, we could see it happen in more states.