Public Middle, High, and Charter Schools - Start Time for Instruction

HB 189 requires all Maryland public middle schools to begin instruction no earlier than 8:00 AM and high schools no earlier than 8:30 AM starting in the 2028-2029 school year. It also mandates that county school boards and public charter schools implement a public awareness campaign starting in 2027-2028 to educate communities about sleep deprivation impacts and benefits of later start times. Waivers for earlier start times are only permitted for specific emergencies like natural disasters, not routine scheduling. The bill directly affects public middle and high schools, charter schools, and their communities through these timing requirements and outreach obligations.