Schools across the South Coast are looking to redefine school hours, with a focus on a later start time for high schools.

School Committee member John Nunes recently met with Falmouth Public Schools — as well as Barnstable, Mashpee, Plymouth, and Scituate — to discuss the possibility of a transition.

"We're literally just starting to talk about it," he said.

The discussion is prompted by an emphasis on students' social, emotional, and physical health. Teens function better at later hours, explained committee Vice Chair Shannon Jenkins.

Their melatonin levels — or the hormones that signal bedtime — don’t kick in until around 11 p.m., which keeps them up late, she said. Then they have to be up before 6 a.m. to catch a bus.

"Their bodies literally do not work that way," she concluded.

Committee members decided to proceed slowly with the discussion, as many other factors — including busing, elementary school hours, after-school sports and other programming, and students' work hours — need to be considered beforehand.

Superintendent Dr. Bonny Gifford said schools in the Greater Boston area have already made the switch to later start times, and locally, Nauset Public Schools has done the same.

"The number of absentees, tardies, and failures all completely dropped," said Gifford.

The committee decided to continue the conversation next month.