After a year of contentious debate, the Olathe school board is finally poised to vote on changing school start times so that bus drivers can take on more routes amid ongoing labor shortages. But some parents, especially with elementary aged children, worry the proposed later bell times would put them in a bind, concerned they will struggle to find morning childcare and make it to work on time. Since last year, the district has been studying changing school times to address the bus driver shortage. Stakeholder groups have considered 20 possible bell schedules, with several parents raising concerns along the way. But officials say they’ve now come up with new school start times that should be manageable for the majority of families. “When we look at change to the system, obviously change is hard and it affects everyone,” Jim McMullen, deputy superintendent of organizational operations, told the school board last week. He added that adjustments are focused on, “getting all students to and from school, and providing equitable access for all students for all programming. But also all the additional things we do on a daily basis in our K-12 schools to provide great enrichment opportunities for our kids,” such as field trips and activities.
Source: Joco 913 News
