The Olathe School district implemented new start times this year, sparking controversy due to their decision. The issue of school start times has been an ongoing debate for the past two years, as the district needed to space them out because of the bus driver shortage.
With this new system, high school now starts the earliest of the schools at 7:40 am and ends at 2:40 pm. This is followed by middle school starting at 8:20 am and ending at 3:20 pm. Lastly is elementary school, which starts at 8:55 am and ends at 3:55 pm.
The staggered school schedules allow for bus driver’s routes to be spaced out enough so that they can drive multiple routes to different schools. This is the most time-efficient option to get bus-riding students to school.
Regardless of the bus driver shortage, these drivers are working harder than ever. They each have to manage multiple routes to various schools, driving all around town to pick students up. These new schedules have impacted their jobs most of all.
“The start times have affected some drivers more than others. Specifically, there are drivers that have other jobs and had to work with their other employers to work out a schedule,” said Daniel Kelly, an Olathe Schools bus driver.
“For all of us that have a triple route- high school, middle school, and elementary- our routes take longer by about an hour,” Kelly said.
Along with the bus drivers, many students, teachers, and parents have their own opinions on the staggered start times.
For some high schoolers and teachers, this twenty minute difference hasn’t impacted them at all. In fact, they enjoy having extra time in their afternoons and don’t mind getting up a little bit earlier.
Several students and teachers didn’t need to change their morning routines regarding the new start time. For instance, students in the marching band were already accustomed to waking up early for morning rehearsals.
“I would say that overall it hasn’t had a big effect on me. The only way I can see the change is by having a slightly shorter rehearsal in the morning than in years past,” Eden Bergerat (12) said.
On the flipside, others have had to reevaluate their schedules and make accommodations to their morning routine in order to arrive at school on time. This can be seen with middle and elementary school families as well.
Some residents live up to thirty minutes away from Olathe North. With school starting 20 minutes earlier they have had to change the entirety of their morning routine in order to arrive at school on time. This change can be particularly challenging for people with additional responsibilities in the morning, such as dropping their siblings off at school or daycare.
“I have to wake up at 5:30 so I can drop my sister off at daycare and make it to school by 7:40,” said Kenyth Carlos (12).
Overall, the new school start times have been met with a variety of reactions. Some are embracing the change while others experience lingering frustrations over these adjustments.
Despite the mixed opinions, the current arrangement of staggered start times serves as an effective solution for the time being. It is the most functional solution to manage the bus driver shortage and numerous routes needing to be driven.
