Are early school start times preventing kids from getting enough sleep?

That's the question on a lot minds as the Maryland House of Delegates prepares to take up House Bill 1462 later this week. The bill, which seeks to establish a task force to study whether or not school should start later in the day, will be up for a hearing at 1 p.m. Mar. 15 in Annapolis.

Recently, a group that supports earlier school start times posted a blog on Patch asking for experts to testify before the legislature.

Discuss school start times with your neighbors on the Parkville-Overlea Patch Facebook page.

The Start School Later campaign in Maryland is part of a national initiative to move school start times—according to a petition posted on their website, Maryland high schools start shortly after 7 a.m. with bus runs beginning as early as 5:45 a.m.

The group believes that such early hours are preventing students from getting the sleep they need and impacting their ability to study effectively.

Do you think that school should start later in the day? Is 7 a.m. just too early or should school start even earlier? Is the current start time just right? Answer our poll below and tell us in the comments.