Litchfield board approves new 2025–26 start times to ease bus routing, align K–8 schedules

The Litchfield Elementary School District Governing Board on a 4–1 vote approved revised start times for the 2025–26 school year intended to have all schools dismissed by 3:30 p.m. and give bus drivers a more consistent 40‑minute window between tiers.

District Superintendent Dr. Eric Davidson and Chief Operations officer Dr. Stone told the board the changes are intended to reduce late runs, align schedules for K–8 campuses (notably Palm Valley as it transitions to K–8) and improve transportation reliability across east‑west routes.

The board’s action followed public comment from Heidi Landon, a teacher at Journey Summit Elementary, who told the board the change could “directly disrupt the family life and child care of many teachers” and lead to transfers for staff who cannot make the new schedule work. “The uncertainty about finding compatible or comparable positions at schools with compatible schedules … is very discouraging,” Landon said.

Why it matters: The 40‑minute buffer between tiers is intended to allow buses to complete runs on time, reducing downstream delays that sometimes leave middle‑school students waiting for buses. Board members said improving reliability for families and after‑school programs was a central aim, while acknowledging some families and staff will face hardship during the transition.

Board discussion and context: Dr. Stone said the 40‑minute spacing between tiers is “one of the big drivers” behind the change, adding that the third tier previously had middle schools waiting for buses when earlier tiers ran late. Dr. Davidson said administrators consulted principals and the superintendent’s advisory council and brought multiple draft schedules to principals to gather feedback, including three separate principal briefings.

Board members pressed administration on outreach and individual impacts. Board Member Wallace said the hour‑long change at some campuses gives her “pause” and asked that communication be accelerated so families and staff have time to adjust. Board Member Moran urged prompt, frequent notification and emphasized the change affects schedules only, not programming or academics.

Details and implementation: District staff identified two elementary campuses—Scott Libby and Dreaming Summit (both listed as Tier 1 candidates in the staff presentation)—whose combined general‑education and special‑education routes total 14; moving Palm Valley and aligning Verrado with Verrado Middle would affect an estimated 16 routes. Administration said it would notify impacted staff before issuing contracts for next year so individuals can make staffing decisions if needed.

Action and vote: Miss Moran moved to approve the start times as presented; Mr. Mikes seconded. The board recorded four “yes” votes (Owens, Wallace, Moran, Mikes) and one “no.” The motion carried.

What’s next: Administration will finalize schedules, communicate changes to families and employees, and continue working with principals and the transportation department to refine routes. The board and staff said they expect continued discussion next year as new schools (including Troy Gilbert Elementary and others) are onboarded and routes adjusted.