One of the most hotly debated topics in the Olathe School district is the prospect of moving up school start times. Currently, high school starts at 8:00 am and ends at 3:00 pm, middle school starts at 7:50 am and ends at 3:10 pm, and elementary school starts at 8:20 am and ends at 3:40 pm. 

These times, however, are no longer working for the district because of the bus driver shortages. There aren’t enough bus drivers to be able to get all students to school at their designated times. To help space out the bus schedules so drivers can run multiple routes, spacing out the school schedules of high school, middle school, and elementary school has become the leading solution. This would then allow the bus routes to be fully staffed, and would potentially reduce the amount of time that students spend on the bus. 

Last year, there wasn’t enough time to work out the logistics and create a plan to move up the school start times. Teachers, students, and parents were angry. The district is trying to start the discussion early this year, as having a plan created and approved by the end of the semester allows families and staff plenty of time to make adjustments to their own schedules to better fit the start time. 

Many high school students disagree with the proposed solution of changing start times. Some students already consider 8 am too early. The justifications for the time change include the rising rates of sleep deprivation. Around 70% of teens already don’t get enough sleep every night. Teens coming to school with inadequate sleep hardly makes for effective learning. Sleep deprivation is one of the leading causes of the decline in mental health among teens today. So is the best option really to make them wake up even earlier? 

The district has put together different scheduling options for next year, all with high school starting at the earliest time of 7:40 am. With no flexiblitity in the options, high schoolers are feeling stuck. Many high schoolers are already severely lacking quality sleep, and with this new schedule, their sleep quality will suffer even more.

The district is still deciding on the final start time changes, so nothing is set in stone. However, with no other solution to the bus driver shortage available there are few options and the future of this topic remains uncertain. 

Option #1

Highschool: 7:40am-2:40pm

Middleschool: 8:20am-3:20pm

Elementary: 8:55am-3:55pm

Option #2

Highschool: 7:40am-2:40pm

Middleschool: 8:55am-3:55pm

Elementary: 8:20am-3:20pm