News
January 14, 2025
Updated January 27, 2025
While we may have just turned the page on the new calendar year, the district has already started planning for the 2025-2026 school year. A key component of this process: finalizing the academic calendar.
A few years ago, a calendar committee was established to help identify critical needs and gather feedback directly from a variety of stakeholders. This group, comprised of district leadership, school board members, staff, and community representatives, has been instrumental in shaping the direction of our planning.
One resounding theme driving the calendar conversations and a potential need to look at schedule changes is the ongoing challenges facing our transportation department. These include an outdated fleet, a consistent shortage of drivers, and the demands of maintaining routes. Coupled with the district’s significant and continued growth, we’ve reached an impasse, where change is not just desirable, but necessary.
Below we’ve outlined some of the changes, along with an FAQ section to help clarify a few questions and concerns that we’ve received. At the regular January board meeting, the 25/26 academic calendar was approved. To view the calendar, follow the link below.
Calendar link
Double-Routing Transportation System:
- What is it?
- The double-routing system means one bus and driver will run two separate routes: one for elementary and another for secondary students.
- Why is this change happening?
- Driver Shortage: The district, like many others, is currently facing an ongoing shortage of bus drivers, which is affecting our ability to provide reliable and timely transportation for all students.
- Updated Fleet: Double-routing will allow us to run fewer routes, stow fewer buses in our fleet, and invest in newer, safer, and more efficient buses to replace the older, less reliable equipment.
- Enrollment Growth: As enrollment trends continue to increase, our transportation system needs to be more efficient to meet an ongoing, increased demand.
- Efficiency & Safety: Maximizing current staff and buses helps ensure the system remains efficient, safe, and reliable.
- Impact on Families:
- Separate pick-up/drop-off times: Students will have separate pick-up and drop-off times age-dependent, one for elementary and another for secondary students.
- Improved Bus Services: This change will maximize efficiency, reduce bus overcrowding, shorten routes, and improve service reliability.
Altered Start Times: (not out of choice, but more out of necessity)
- What is it?
- In line with the double-routing system, buildings will have offset start times. Elementary schools will start at 7:50 AM (Big Creek 7:55 AM) and secondary schools will begin at 8:20 AM.
- Why is this change happening?
- Improved Transportation System: Offset start times allow the district to transition to a double-routing transportation system.
- Student Drivers: While we know elementary students may have early pick-ups in the dark for a portion of the year, with regards to safety, we would rather this than our secondary students driving in the dark and potentially winter road conditions.
- Better for Student Sleep: Research shows that adolescent students (ages 12-18) need more sleep than younger students.
- Impact on Families:
- Schedule Adjustments: Students and families may need to adjust routines, especially with earlier pick-up times for those with elementary students. However, we anticipate these split routes to be shorter and more efficient.
- No Change to Before/After-School Activities: Extracurricular activities, including before-school practices and Early Bird PE, will remain intact.
Professional Learning Days:
- What is it?
- Full-day Professional Development Days (no school for students) will replace the Monday late start model.
- Why is this change happening?
- Staff Feedback: The district gained feedback from all staff members, nearly 90% of respondents prefer full-day PD to Monday late starts.
Screenshot taken of respondents' preferences from an internal staff survey conducted in December 2024.
- Better for Working Families: Consistent start times reduce scheduling conflicts, Monday late starts often bring many logistical challenges for working families.
- Focused Staff Learning: Teachers, staff, and administrators will have more intentionally focused time for collaborative learning and professional growth.
- Staff Feedback: The district gained feedback from all staff members, nearly 90% of respondents prefer full-day PD to Monday late starts.
- Impact on Families:
- No Monday Late Starts: School will begin at a consistent start time throughout the year and at the regular time on Mondays.
- Full-Day Professional Development Days: Each month, there will be a full-day professional development session resulting in a no-school student day.
FAQ:
- What is double-routing, and how will it impact my child’s bus schedule?
A double-routing bus system will allow our transportation department to run two separate routes, one for elementary and another for secondary, with one bus and driver, ultimately resulting in two separate pick-up and drop-off times. - I have students in both middle school and elementary. How will that work?
With the proposed schedule, the elementary start times are slated to begin 30 minutes before our secondary buildings. Elementary pick-up and drop-off will be earlier and separate from secondary students. - Why are start times being changed?
The changes to school start times are driven by the need to transition to a double-routing transportation system due to our driver shortage needing to be actively addressed. - Will professional development days be consistent on a monthly basis?
In most cases, the professional development day will fall on Mondays throughout the school year, except for fall (October) and spring (February) conferences where the professional learning day will be on the Friday following each conference date. There will be no Professional Learning Day in March. - Will these changes result in financial savings for the district?
While double-routing may result in some savings for the district due to fewer buses being needed, the primary driver of this change is to improve transportation reliability and address ongoing staffing challenges, not to achieve significant cost savings. - Why are elementary start times earlier?
The decision to start elementary schools earlier is driven by a few key factors:
Adolescent Sleep Needs: Research shows that secondary students (ages 12-18) need more sleep than younger students, which is why their start times are later.
Program Scheduling: A later start for secondary schools allows us to keep Fine Arts and Early Bird Physical Education programs without starting them before 7 AM.
Safety: While elementary students may be picked up in the dark, we believe it’s safer for secondary students to avoid driving in dark, winter conditions. - What are the reasons behind moving to full-day professional development (PD) days instead of Monday late starts?
We gained feedback directly from our staff, almost 90% of respondents across all buildings in the district indicated a preference for full-day professional development over Monday late starts. This will provide our teachers will more focused time for collaboration, planning, and learning, ultimately benefiting our students in the long run. Additionally, this transition also reduces any scheduling conflicts for families, as Monday late starts often bring many logistical challenges for working families. - Will there still be a morning activity shuttle?
Yes! The morning activity shuttle will operate as in previous years, and there will be no changes to extracurricular activities, including before-school practices and Early Bird PE. - With preschool still scheduled to be half-days, will a midday transportation route still be offered?
Yes. In some form, there will be a midday preschool transportation route offered at both West and Central next year. While the exact details are still being finalized, we can assure you that the route will continue to be available, either in its current format or with potential adjustments.