Fall Start Times California’s 30 Largest School Districts Scheduled Start Dates* [32] The traditional school opening after Labor Day is now a rarity in California school districts. Alabama: 7:49 a.m. On Tuesday, Newsom said schools could start the next academic year early, ... California CEO Report gives you a high-level outlook on policy issues driving the agenda in the Golden State. Middle schools" and "junior high schools" are schools that span grades 5 or 6 to 8 and 7 to 8, respectively, but junior high schools spanning grades 7 to 9 are also common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends a later start time for adolescents and teenagers, found in 2011-12 that the average start time for middle and high schools in California was 8:07 a.m., with 31.2 percent starting before 8 a.m., 47.6 percent starting between 8 and 8:30 a.m. and 21.2 percent starting after 8:30 a.m. The average start time for middle and high schools in each state is listed below. None of the state’s 30 largest districts, with a total enrollment of 1.9 million students, is scheduled to start school after Labor Day, a review by EdSource shows. What’s new: High school school days will need to start at 8:30 a.m. or later; middle school school days will need to start at 8 a.m. or later however schools will have time to implement the changes. (In one state, Maryland, there was not enough information to determine the average start time.) The range defined by either is often based on demographic factors, such as an increase or decrease in the relative numbers of younger or older students, with the aim of maintaining stable school populations.