Later bell schedule tied to fewer tardies, improved bus service and fewer transport incidents, Olathe principals say

Later start times and a three-tier bell schedule implemented this school year have reduced tardiness and eased transportation pressures across Olathe Public Schools, principals and district transportation staff told the Board of Education during an informational presentation.

District and building leaders summarized early results and remaining challenges from the schedule change, telling the board that elementary, middle and high schools have all seen benefits including improved attendance, more morning planning time for teachers and steadier bus service.

The principals’ reports: why the change mattered

Scott Appel, principal at Pioneer Trail Middle School, said tardiness dropped substantially after the later start. "On average, we're only seeing about 10 tardy students per day in our building," Appel said, adding that last year the building saw "25 to 35 kids tardy every single day." Appel credited the consistent bus assignments and the unified middle‑school bell across all 10 middle schools for that improvement.

At the elementary level, district staff reported that changing the instructional day from roughly 8:00–3:40 to a later start (doors opening later, certified contracts shifted to begin at 8:15) gave teachers a larger morning window for preparation and helped special‑education staff coordinate supports. District staff also noted a reduction of about 20 instructional minutes per day at the elementary level — roughly 100 minutes per week — and said buildings have worked to maximize the remaining instructional time.

High school leaders said the later start allowed reinstatement of previously cut bus routes and improved student access to school. "The 7:40 start has been phenomenal at the high school level," said Jay O'Czech, a high‑school principal, adding that reintroduced routes reduced chronic absenteeism by giving students a reliable ride.

Transportation and operations numbers

District transportation staff reported that DS Bus Lines — one of the district contractors — increased drivers from 129 last year to 148 this year, while the total number of DS routes remained about the same (143 to 142). The district described a three‑tier routing system with 20 single routes, 74 double routes and 48 triple routes. The district also said it used about 200 tons of salt in a recent snow event (see separate report) and has added targeted safety measures and lighting for before‑school activities at high school sites.

The district has implemented a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program on buses with early results the district described as "phenomenal": general‑education bus behavior incidents fell by 46% in the August–October comparison and special‑education bus incidents fell by 11% during the same period. The district said the PBIS work was planned and executed with transportation partners and Olivia Malone, the district’s director of transportation.

Remaining challenges and tradeoffs

Principals and staff acknowledged tradeoffs. At elementary schools the shorter instructional day translates into about 3,400 fewer minutes per academic year; some teachers and programs (for example, instrumental music and classes with lab/changes for PE) have felt the reduction more than others. At middle and high schools, later dismissal times have shifted when extracurricular events and practices end, creating scheduling strains for some staff and families.

The board and building leaders said they have tried to mitigate those strains by shifting some meetings to morning hours, adding before‑school academic offerings (for example, Math Wings at an elementary site) and by coordinating club/advisory time at the high school level so students can access activities during the school day.

Why this matters: equity, attendance and operations

Board members framed the schedule change as an operational solution to chronic absenteeism and transportation gaps. Principals said the later start benefited students who previously depended on older siblings or unreliable routes to get to school and made bus driver assignments more consistent for students who ride daily.

What the board asked for

Board members asked for continued updates and for data on academics and attendance as the district completes the school year. Several members thanked principals, general administration and transportation partners for the planning and implementation work.

Ending

District leaders said they will continue monitoring instructional outcomes, extracurricular scheduling and transportation performance and will report back to the board. No formal action was requested or taken on the bell schedule at the meeting.