New Analytics Breakthrough Shows U.S. Schools Can Adopt Later Start Times Without Raising Costs

San Francisco’s districtwide overhaul improves teen sleep, streamlines operations and saves millions, offering a national roadmap 

Key Takeaways 

• Research published in journal Management Science shows later high school start times are both feasible and cost-effective 

• San Francisco’s districtwide redesign improved teen well-being and saved more than $5 million annually 

• Interactive analytics model helps districts balance transportation, staffing, and family needs 

BALTIMORE, Dec. 17, 2025—For decades, school districts have struggled to adopt later high school start times, despite overwhelming medical evidence that early bells harm teen health. A new study in the INFORMS journal Management Science demonstrates that advanced analytics can finally break the logjam, showing that healthier schedules are not only achievable but can also improve district operations and reduce costs. 

Working with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), researchers Arthur Delarue of the University of Virginia, Zhen Lian of Yale University and Sebastien Martin of Northwestern University designed an interactive optimization system that helped the district shift start times across all 133 schools. The redesign, implemented in 2021, aligned schedules more closely with adolescent biology and reduced transportation spending by more than $5 million each year. 

“Too many high schools still start before teens’ brains are ready to learn, and the barriers to change are often political, not technical,” said Delarue. “Our approach gave policymakers real control over the process and revealed that healthier start times could be achieved without sacrificing operational feasibility.” 

Major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, recommend high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Early start times are linked to restricted sleep, poorer academic performance and worsening mental and physical health among teens. Yet districts often stall because of limited bus fleets, staffing constraints and competing family schedules. 

The study’s interactive model reframed the challenge. Instead of relying on a single recommended solution, the system enabled district leaders to explore thousands of near-optimal schedules, weigh tradeoffs and test real-world constraints in real time. Decision makers could visualize how different choices affected transportation costs, community preferences and the disruption to existing routines. 

“Instead of telling the district what the ‘optimal’ schedule was, we gave them the tools to explore what was possible,” said Lian.  

The resulting schedule was broadly supported across the community. Of course, the complexity of the problem means that not every family can get their favorite start time. Still, in addition to the benefits of later high school start times, a survey of nearly 28,000 elementary school families and staff found that a majority approved of the changes. The shift also simplified bus operations, improved alignment among school schedules and allowed staff to better coordinate across sites. 

The researchers emphasize that districts of any size—public or private—can adopt this framework. By engaging administrators, transportation planners, teachers and families early in the process, schools can build schedules that enhance student well-being while strengthening operational performance. 

Editor's Note: Read the study in full here. Interviews with the researchers and additional information about the study are available on request. 

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About INFORMS and Management Science 

INFORMS is the world’s largest association for professionals and students in operations research, AI, analytics, data science and related disciplines, serving as a global authority in advancing cutting-edge practices and fostering an interdisciplinary community of innovation. Management Science, a leading peer-reviewed journal published by INFORMS, features rigorous quantitative research on management practices across organizations. INFORMS supports its members through journals, conferences and resources that advance research and practice. Learn more at www.informs.org or @informs. 

Contact: 

Rebecca Seel 

Public Affairs Specialist, INFORMS 

[email protected] 

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