2025-2026 Bell Schedule

Didn’t the district just make a bell schedule change for this school year?

 For the 2024-2025 school year, BSD did change school start and end times — what we refer to as our “bell schedule” — so that younger students started earlier and older students started later. The district received a considerable amount of feedback from families of middle and high school students during our strategic planning process in 2023, asking for the change. In addition, the practice aligns with neighboring districts and current research on student academic success and well-being.

Is the district looking at attendance and tardiness data?

District and school staff regularly track attendance and tardiness data. We continue to focus on attendance issues at all levels. 

What is the change being made for the 2025-2025 school year?

The changes are as follows:

• All late-start elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, option schools and FLEX Online School will start and end 10 minutes later than the current schedule. Schedules for early-start elementary schools, the Academic & Communication Enhancement Program (ACE) and Community Transition Program (CTP) will remain the same.
• Beaver Acres and Rock Creek Elementaries will shift from being late-start schools to early-start schools.
• Because Raleigh Hills Elementary currently shares a school site with Greenway, this change will not apply; Raleigh Hills’ start and end times will remain the same as this year.
• Rachel Carson students at Cedar Park and SUMMA students at Whitford and Meadow Park Middle Schools will ride morning buses to high schools, switch buses and then travel to their middle schools. Their afternoon transportation will remain the same. 
• Career Technical Education (CTE) students will ride morning buses to option schools, switch buses and then travel to their CTE sites. Those transfer buses will include stops at high schools to allow self-driving students to ride CTE buses. Transportation back to high schools at the end of CTE classes will remain the same.

Detailed bus routes and times will be communicated to families in August prior to the start of school.

Why is another change necessary for the 2025-2025 school year?

This change is being made to improve the reliability of our transportation system. Our current schedule has created a ripple effect: when buses are delayed at one school, it often causes delays across several other schools throughout the day. The additional 10-minute shift helps us build in the time needed to keep buses on schedule and students arriving and leaving on time.

Why is another change necessary for the 2025-2025 school year?

This change is being made to improve the reliability of our transportation system. Our current schedule has created a ripple effect: when buses are delayed at one school, it often causes delays across several other schools throughout the day. The additional 10-minute shift helps us build in the time needed to keep buses on schedule and students arriving and leaving on time.

What have the delays looked like this school year?

Here’s a look at the delay data:

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What other options did the district consider?

The district considered three possible options to increase on-time performance for buses.

The first option was to continue with what the transportation department did this year by adding additional drivers and routes at a cost of approximately $1.7 million. While this solution provided some relief for midday routes, it did not improve on-time performance for afternoon middle and high school routes. In addition, given budget constraints, the solution is not sustainable.

The other two options focused on gaining 10 minutes in the schedule, the amount of time we believe is needed to improve on-time performance. It could be accomplished by moving the start time of our early-start elementary schools even earlier by 10 minutes, meaning some students — primarily special education students — would be picked up as early as 6:30 a.m. It also means that during the winter months, this earlier time would place students outside, waiting for buses in the dark. Additionally, staff would need to report by 7:05 a.m., with office assistants needing to report even earlier.

Instead, the district chose the third option — shifting the start and end times of late-start elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, option schools and FLEX Online School to be 10 minutes later than this year’s times. 

How were these decisions made?

 The district analyzed bus on-time performance and considered various options. The proposed solutions were shared with district leadership, school administrators and union leaders representing our licensed and classified staff. These solutions aim to solve the transportation delay issues while minimizing disruptions for families and staff to the greatest degree possible.

Why is middle school ending later in the day?

In order to create the additional 10-minute gap between school levels needed to keep buses on time, middle school dismissal times were shifted later. We understand that a later end time affects after-school schedules, commutes and time with family. We’ll monitor attendance, engagement and participation in after-school activities to ensure that any negative effects are mitigated.

Will students miss more class time due to the later end time?

We’re monitoring data related to attendance, tardies and early dismissals for appointments. If we see significant trends, we’ll work with school leaders to advocate for flexibility, where possible.

Why wasn't there more transparency about these changes?

 We understand the need for clear communication. We attempted to provide information as soon as the decision had been made in March. We remain committed to improving transparency and providing thorough explanations for future decisions.

Why not just hire more bus drivers?

The district added 20 drivers this year at a cost of over $2.1 million. However, the increase did not fully solve the problem and is not financially sustainable. As more students participate in career technical education, dual language, option programs and other specialized services, our transportation needs have grown significantly. Adjusting start times helps us serve students more efficiently with the resources that we have.

How does this change impact families with fewer resources?

We recognize that later start times can be more challenging for families where adults leave early for work or where students are responsible for getting themselves to school. These shifts may disproportionately affect lower-income families, and we’re working to identify students who may need additional support.

Is this a permanent schedule?

While we believe this change will improve our transportation system and reduce delays, we’ll continue evaluating its impact. Any future adjustments will be informed by attendance rates, academic performance, transportation data and community feedback.

How will the district share future updates?

Information will be posted on the district website and shared with families via ParentSquare.

 

Why is Beaver Acres Elementary moving to an earlier start time?

This was a difficult decision. More than 70% of Beaver Acres students ride buses, and those routes significantly impact the rest of the district's transportation system. The earlier start time allows for:

• Buses to consistently arrive in time for breakfast.
• Reduction in the number of bus routes needed.
• Smoother afternoon dismissal with all buses able to stage on time.
• Improved on-time performance for downstream schools, especially at the middle school level.

How will the earlier start time affect student attendance at Beaver Acres?

We understand that the earlier start time may be challenging. Both district and school leadership are committed to supporting families in getting students to school on time.

Why does the district provide transportation to option schools and other programming, given the impact on the transportation department’s budget and capacity?

The district is committed to providing transportation to career technical education, dual language, option programs and other specialized services so that all students in the district have access to these opportunities.

Is it safe for young students to walk to school in the dark?

Safety is our top priority. We’re aware of concerns regarding student safety when walking to school during darker morning hours. The district is working with school leadership to identify strategies to support safe travel, including walking school buses and supervision options.

Who can I contact with questions about contractual hours?

Please reach out to your school administrator with questions. Alternatively, you can contact Human Resources directly for clarification.