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Caswell school board approves staggered start times and tiered-busing plan after hours of debate
Summary
After extended public and board discussion over parent schedules, bus-route logistics and equity concerns, the Caswell County Board of Education voted 5–2 to adopt staggered start times and tiered busing, directing staff to implement NL Dillard 7:30–2:30, high school 7:45–2:45 and elementary 8:45–3:30 and to finalize operational details.
The Caswell County Board of Education voted 5–2 on May 11 to adopt staggered school start times and a tiered-busing plan intended to reduce individual bus ride time and improve routing efficiency.
Board members debated the change for more than an hour, with questions focused on how families without childcare would be served, how the district would meet state instructional-minute rules, and whether the altered schedule would put additional pressure on working parents. Transportation director Tim Bussey told the board that the district had submitted proposed start and end times to the state and that bus-route planning requires decisions now to avoid service disruption.
Supporters argued the hour gap between tiers would allow the district to reuse buses on multiple runs and reduce extreme ride lengths. Opponents cautioned that some parents — especially single parents and families dependent on before- or after-school care — might be disadvantaged. Two board members, Knight and Bennett, voted against the motion.
The motion that passed set NL Dillard Middle School from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the high school from 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., and elementary schools from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Staff and principals will return with site-level logistics, including staggered dismissal procedures at split campuses, before implementation.
Superintendent and transportation staff emphasized that the instructional day start time and the building-open window differ; the board instructed staff to draft communications to families and to report back with route maps and staffing implications at the next meeting.
The board recorded the final vote as 5 in favor, 2 opposed; the two dissenting votes were cast by Mr. Knight and Mr. Bennett. Implementation tasks the board assigned to staff include parent notification, bus-route refinement, and steps to identify or expand before/after-school care where necessary.
