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Board declines immediate change to school start times after community survey and bus-cost analysis
Summary
After a follow-up survey with more than 5,000 responses representing over 10,000 students, staff told trustees that moving high school start times 15 minutes later could require 15—60 extra buses (midpoint cost about $1.2 million) and compress run windows. Trustees expressed concerns and directed staff to bring the SST-1 compliance report on May 12.
Deputy Superintendent Derek Jensen and transportation staff reviewed results of a district follow-up survey on school start times and a transportation model that tested a 15-minute move of high school start times.
Jensen said the follow-up survey received more than 5,000 responses representing more than 10,000 district students, and that sentiment varied by level: high school respondents showed a small net positive for a 15-minute later start, while middle- and elementary-level responses skewed more negative because of work schedules, childcare and extracurricular impacts.
Transportation modeling by Clark's team found that moving only high schools 15 minutes later (leaving other tiers unchanged) would reduce the time between bus runs and push more high-school routes into peak county traffic. The team estimated the district would need between 15 and 20 additional buses to avoid unacceptable run compression; using the midpoint, staff estimated roughly $1.2 million in annual operating cost to add drivers and buses.
Board members debated tradeoffs. Trustee Kennedy said he favors later start times for the student health benefits but does not want the district to incur additional ongoing expense if it can be avoided. Trustee Felton and others raised concerns about impacts on day-care providers, nonprofit partners and athletic schedules. Trustee Tatum said the district's current on-time rates have improved markedly and cautioned against jeopardizing progress.
Jensen said staff's recommendation was to leave start times as is but to return a final SST-1 compliance report and a formal start-time recommendation at the May 12 meeting for board consideration and for submission to the state Department of Education by June 4, as required.
What happens next: The board did not move forward with changing start times at the April 28 meeting; staff will submit the SST-1 compliance report and bring final start-time recommendations to the May 12 meeting.
