Despite parent fears, Olathe changes school start times to address bus driver shortage
After two years of debate and parents raising concerns, the Olathe school board on Thursday agreed to change school bell times in an effort to ease its bus driver shortage.
The school board voted 6-1 to adjust start and end times so that bus drivers can take on more routes amid ongoing labor shortages. The change, which has elementary schools starting later at 8:55 a.m., had several parents worried they will struggle to find morning childcare and make it to work on time.
“One of my biggest concerns is the safety of my students. There are buildings across our district, including mine, where students are already being dropped off at the front doors to wait outside unsupervised,” Megan Bricks, an elementary music teacher, told the board Thursday. “If we were to push the time back, I’m worried about the number of unattended students. I’m worried there won’t be enough morning childcare spots for parents who work and need to arrive on time for their jobs.”
The new schedule will go into effect next school year.
District officials said the new schedule received the most support from secondary parents and staff, and would be the least disruptive to employee work schedules. Approving the bell schedule now, they said, is crucial so many other decisions can be made, including regarding morning childcare options.
The new bell schedule has high schools starting first at 7:40 a.m., followed by middle schools at 8:20 a.m. and elementary schools at 8:55 a.m. High schools would end the day at 2:40 p.m., followed by middle schools at 3:20 p.m. and elementary schools at 3:55 p.m.
Right now, middle schools start first at 7:50 a.m. and end at 3:10 p.m. High schools start at 8 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. And elementary schools start at 8:20 a.m. and get out at 3:40 p.m.
Moving to a “three-tier” bell schedule, officials say, means fewer bus drivers are needed because they would have the time to complete up to three routes each day. Right now drivers can only make one or two trips.
Amid national labor shortages, the district is short nearly 30 drivers — and that’s on days when no one calls in sick. Last school year officials cut services and implemented “rolling blackouts” for some routes, requiring families to find alternative transportation on those days.
Last year, the district’s bus schedule required 182 drivers, said Jim McMullen, deputy superintendent of organizational operations. The new system will require fewer than 150, he said.
Officials also have said the new model would save the district an estimated $750,000 as fuel, equipment and labor costs rise.
District staff created the new bell schedule after months of conducting study groups and surveys with parents, staff and students. Officials were ready to recommend new start times for the school board to vote on in April, but following parent concerns, delayed a decision.
District surveys showed that middle and high school families preferred the earliest start times. But elementary families and staff overwhelmingly supported a different proposal that would have those students starting earlier, at 8:20, and middle schoolers starting at 8:55.
McMullen told the school board the district is considering options for expanding before-school care for elementary students. He said the district has been working with Johnson County Parks and Recreation, its before and after school provider, to look at ways to increase staffing to support more families.
“On our end, we certainly have looked at other options that other districts are doing,” such as using multiple outside providers or paying district staff for morning care.
District officials also said that the schedule change will free up more bus drivers to staff field trips and other activities. The district also plans to reinstate bus service for about 3,500 secondary students who live within 2.5 miles of their school. Those students pay for bus service, while students who live farther away ride for free. The pay-ride service was cut last year as officials tried to manage driver vacancies.
This story was originally published December 8, 2023 at 2:47 PM.
