Nashville students will start their days a little later next school year

Many Nashville students will soon start their school days a little later. On Tuesday, the Board of Education adopted a proposal to push back school start and end times.

High schoolers will begin school 20 minutes later, while elementary students will see a shift of 10 minutes. There’s no change for middle schoolers.

The new schedule for Metro Nashville Public Schools is based on community feedback, transportation logistics and research about adolescent sleep.

“This decision reflects months of listening to our community and carefully weighing what is both meaningful for students and workable for families and educators,” said MNPS Superintendent Adrienne Battle. “Even modest adjustments can make a real difference, and this plan moves us forward in a thoughtful, responsible way.”

The updated school hours will take effect in the 2026-2027 school year.

• High schools will start at 7:25 a.m. and dismiss at 2:25 p.m.
• Elementary schools and Early Learning Centers will start at 8:10 a.m. and dismiss at 3:10 p.m.
• Middle schools will start at 8:55 a.m. and dismiss at 3:55 p.m

Last fall, MNPS began a partnership with Mayor Freddie O’Connell to conduct a study evaluating the effectiveness of the district’s school hours. They gathered feedback through town halls, focus groups and surveys, which resulted in more than 23,000 responses.

“I’m thankful to the Board and community for their thoughtful decision because this will improve the supportive learning environment for all our students,” said O’Connell. 

During the winter, the school district presented families with potential schedule options. Survey results showed a general consensus that high school start times were too early.

MNPS will provide families and staff with additional information ahead of the upcoming school year.