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Candidates support later high-school start times but say bus logistics make change difficult
Summary
Candidates backed later start times for high-schoolers citing AAP guidance but said a bus-driver shortage, three-tier routing and coordination with neighboring districts and after-school activities complicate implementation.
Nearly all candidates said they support later high-school start times for adolescent sleep needs but described logistical obstacles to implementation.
Holly Delenbaugh pointed to past attempts to shift start times and said a bus-driver shortage made a two-tier schedule unsustainable: "we had almost, you know, 20 fewer drivers than we did when we had originally been able to implement it," she said, adding that a two-tier system earlier worked briefly but could not be sustained.
Meredith Moriarty and others said the board should support recruitment and retention of bus drivers, consider pay and incentives, and use routing technology to increase efficiency. Candidates also raised childcare and athletic scheduling concerns: shifting start times can push end times later, affecting after-school sports and coordination with other districts.
No formal transportation policy was adopted at the forum; candidates suggested continued study and coordination with transportation staff, neighboring districts and families before any change.
