More than 3,000 Coral Gables Senior High students will walk into school an hour later than they did last year when classes begin Thursday, Aug. 13.
Under Florida House Bill 733, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023, the school's first bell moves to 8:30 a.m. and dismissal shifts to 3:30 p.m. All Miami-Dade County public high schools previously started before 7:30 a.m., according to CavsConnect, the school's student newspaper.
The law required every Florida high school to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and every middle school no earlier than 8 a.m. by July 1, 2026. A 2025 amendment, Senate Bill 296, gave districts the option to opt out by filing a report with the Florida Department of Education. Many districts statewide sought exemptions; Miami-Dade County Public Schools did not and is implementing the later schedule.
What it means for families
The extra hour aligns with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which says adolescents' internal clocks shift up to two hours later during puberty, making it difficult for most teens to fall asleep before 11 p.m. A March 2026 study in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that students at a Swiss high school who started later slept 45 minutes more per night and showed improved grades.
But the 3:30 p.m. dismissal compresses after-school time for athletes, club members and students with jobs. When CavsConnect covered the law's passage in December 2023, then-sophomore Samantha Gonzalez said the later end time would push her sports and Girl Scouts schedule even deeper into the evening, leaving less time for homework and wrecking her sleep. The school's Gablettes dance team, which practices until 8 p.m. during competition season, faces the same crunch.
Afternoon traffic on Salzedo, Ponce
The later dismissal lands squarely in the afternoon rush. University of Miami returning students begin arriving Aug. 13, the same day, and UM fall classes start Monday, Aug. 17, according to the Gables Gazette. That overlap will compound congestion on Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Salzedo Street and surrounding corridors.
Coral Gables Police Chief Edward J. Hudak Jr. said Aug. 6 that drivers need to adjust: "We remind all drivers to slow down, remain alert, and obey posted school zone speed limits."
The opening days are expected to be the worst, as parents, students and bus drivers settle into new routines around the shifted schedule.
The city has signed a three-year contract with Jenoptik Smart Mobility Solutions for school-zone speed cameras, but no cameras will be operating when school opens Aug. 13.
Deadline approaching
Families who need meal benefits should apply by Monday, Aug. 10. Without approval, breakfast costs $2.50 and lunch $4.20 at Coral Gables Senior High in 2026-27.
The first day of classes is Thursday, Aug. 13.
