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Board approves 3‑tier bell schedule change, moving first‑tier start to 7:15 a.m.
Summary
The board approved a modification to the district's three‑tier busing model that shifts first‑tier school start times from 7:25 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. beginning July 1, 2025. The proposal passed 7‑2 after extensive public comment on student sleep, safety and equity.
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors voted 7-2 on Jan. 30 to approve a modification to the district’s three‑tier bell schedule that moves first‑tier bell times from 7:25 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. effective July 1, 2025.
David Pfeifferik, director of business and transportation services, told the board the shift is intended to relieve ‘‘tiering compression’’ that causes buses to arrive late and students to miss instruction. Pfeifferik said the transportation operation needs roughly ‘‘35 to 40 minutes between runs’’ and described the proposed change as returning 10 minutes lost after prior schedule adjustments. He said adding buses would not solve the timing problem because route times and city geography require more spacing between tiers.
Public comment included parents and teachers opposed to an earlier start. Teacher speakers warned of the impact on young children’s sleep and class readiness; one teacher told the board: “It takes a whole hour to get started with some kids because they're not fully awake.” Community members asked the district to seek parent input before implementing changes. Other speakers—including high‑school staff and parents of tier‑3 students—said late third‑tier arrivals have caused students to miss large amounts of instruction and urged a fix.
Board members debated tradeoffs. Directors Seemson and Zomber noted the system-wide impacts and emphasized that moving first‑tier start times affects fewer schools than moving later tiers; Director Zomber said many first‑tier buses already arrive near 7:15 a.m. and the change would improve on‑time arrival and equity across the system. Director Ferguson asked that administration engage additional parent outreach before implementation; administration said the change would take effect next school year and that more family messaging could be done during the enrollment period.
The roll call recorded seven ayes and two no votes (Directors Ferguson and Jackson). The board approved the administration recommendation; implementation details and outreach to families were discussed but not fully specified in the motion.
