Seeking A's In a Few More Zzzz's

Thompson said she tries to get into bed by 11 p.m. But she winds down by reading or writing in her journal, and it's 11:30 before she falls asleep.

Sean McKenna, a pediatrician at Virginia Commonwealth University, said Thompson's schedule is typical for teenagers, who tend to have a surge of energy in the evenings. "They are awake and alive, and they want to do something," McKenna said.

McKenna said he has seen sleep-deprived teenagers who suffer from headaches or are not performing well in school. Some students can appear to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder when, in reality, they are just exhausted.

"There are a lot of pediatricians who think schools should start later for a lot of reasons," McKenna said.

Dean Tistadt, assistant superintendent of facilities and transportation services, said he is open to ideas, because he has looked for ways to start school later but has not found a solution. The district already has trouble hiring and keeping bus drivers and is about 50 drivers short. The consultant estimated the schools would have to add more than 600 buses to adjust start times.

"I believe this would be in the best interest of the students," Tistadt said. "I've looked at this on a number of occasions, in a number of different ways, and I haven't found a way to do it that doesn't cost a lot of money."

Payne said the schools should continue looking for economical fixes. Maybe students could take classes in the summer or online and opt out of first period classes, she said. Or perhaps minor boundary adjustments could make bus routes shorter. Payne and Evans also said the district could consider using some public transportation, a strategy employed by some other school systems.

"We wouldn't send them to school hungry, and you shouldn't send them tired," Payne said.

Chris Shea, an eighth-grader at Robinson Secondary School who lives in Fairfax Station, and his mother, Cindy, are among those who would welcome a little more shut-eye.

These days, Chris, 13, does all he can to maximize his sleep. He showers at night, arranges clothes for the next day and makes sure his backpack is ready to go. In the morning, he grabs cereal or a bagel while his mother packs a lunch.

He's supposed to catch the bus at 6:12 a.m. Instead, Cindy Shea drives him to the final stop of his bus route -- a 6:40 a.m. pickup.

"That 15 minutes of sleep makes a difference," Cindy Shea said. "There's some break point there -- 6:12 for my son simply isn't doable every day."

For more information, visithttp://www.sleepinfairfax.org.

The School Board's preliminary report on bell times can be found athttp://www.fcps.edu/schoolbd.htm. Go to "Board Topics" and click on the link under "Update: At the November 7 Facilities and Operations Work Session . . . "