Following the recommendations received in the 2017 Gibson Consulting report, district staff have worked collaboratively to identify viable options for school bell schedules.  The district must make changes to the 2018-2019 bell schedules for many reasons.  Among these are the preservation of valuable instructional time for students, the impracticality of current transportation routes, and the cost to staff the many routes that the current bell schedules require. 

While there are many internal considerations that will influence the new bell schedules, there are also many concerns, preferences, and considerations from interested stakeholders that need to be included in the decision making process.  To this end, the district developed a Bell Schedule Simulator that allows stakeholders to share their suggested bell schedules for each building type, while also ensuring that these submissions meet the required number of instructional minutes and allow for appropriately staggered start and end times so that buses can complete their routes.

Beginning on August 1, 2017, information about how to access and use the Bell Schedule Simulator has been shared with the community via our website, social media, and through partner organizations.  More than 700 bell schedule suggestions have been submitted through the online simulator.

By examining the most popular bell schedule submissions and reviewing these options for feasibility, six bell schedule models were identified for inclusion in the Bell Schedule Survey.  The survey will field from September 1, 2017, to September 24, 2017, and the results of the survey will inform the ultimate recommendation to the School Board on October 17, 2017.

In addition to allowing students to arrive to class on time, the improved efficiency will redirect $2.5 million from transportation back into the classroom to support instruction for students.

Outcomes associated with the 2018-2019 bell schedules will be evaluated primarily according to: 1) transportation cost savings, and 2) on-time arrival rates for buses.