In December 2022, the district began gathering feedback from our various stakeholders to collect input on a change to start/end times. Feedback opportunities included:

Parent Survey #1

In December 2022, the district sent a survey seeking input from parents on the possibility of exploring alternative start/end times. We received more than 6,200 responses to the survey, with more than 63% of responses indicating support for looking at a change to school times and 26% indicating they were neutral.

In addition, several themes emerged from the open-ended feedback portion, including: 

1. Need more information/need proposed times
2. Impact on sports/after-school activities
3. Impact on working parents/families (including families with kids at multiple levels)
4. General concerns
5. Bus driver recruitment/retention/working conditions
6. Student sleep needs
7. Childcare before/after school
8. Teacher contract times/student instructional time impact
9. Four-day week
10. Feedback on schedule order 

View a full summary of the Parent Survey #1 (PDF)

Vea el resumen completo de la encuesta nº 1 (en formato PDF)

Staff Survey 

Based on the level of interest to explore alternative start/end times indicated in Parent Survey #1, the district continued its pursuit of this process, seeking feedback from additional groups. In January 2023, the district sent a survey to all staff members seeking input on the earliest/latest school start and end times they would support, as well as any questions or comments they wanted to share.  

We received more than 2,200 responses, with the majority of staff indicating the following: 

• Elementary
  • Earliest start time staff would support: 8 a.m., 763 responses
  • Latest dismissal time staff would support: 3:40 p.m./4 p.m., 647 responses/646 responses
• Middle
  • Earliest start time staff would support: 7:30 a.m., 766 responses
  • Latest dismissal time staff would support: 3 p.m., 409 responses
• High
  • Earliest start time staff would support: 7:30 a.m., 923 responses
  • Latest dismissal time staff would support: 3 p.m./3:30 p.m., 437 responses/441 responses

View a full summary of the Staff Survey (PDF)

Student Feedback 

The district met with students in the Superintendent Student Advisory Council to gather student feedback on a change to bell schedules. This group is comprised of approximately 25 high school students from all five district high schools. Students completed a “dot activity” where they had the opportunity to vote on various bell schedule options. They also provided feedback on the earliest arrival and latest dismissal times they would support at the high school level only. Student feedback indicates 7:30 a.m. is the earliest start time and 3:15 p.m. is the latest dismissal time they would support at the high school level.

Parent Survey #2 

Based on the open-ended feedback from the initial parent survey, the district sent a second parent survey out in February 2023 to gather feedback on specific start/end times they would be willing to support. We received nearly 6,000 responses with the majority of parents indicating the following:

• Elementary
  • Earliest start time parents would support: 8 a.m., 1,841 responses
  • Latest start time parents would support: 8:30 a.m., 1,515 responses
  • Earliest dismissal time parents would support: 3 p.m., 1,410 responses
  • Latest dismissal time parents would support: 4 p.m., 1,882 responses
• Middle
  • Earliest start time parents would support: 7:30 a.m., 1,577 responses
  • Latest start time parents would support: 8:30 a.m., 1,134 responses
  • Earliest dismissal time parents would support: 3 p.m., 1,493 responses
  • Latest dismissal time parents would support: 4 p.m., 1,326 responses
• High
  • Earliest start time parents would support: 7:30 a.m., 1,879 responses
  • Latest start time parents would support: 8 a.m., 1,139 responses
  • Earliest dismissal time parents would support: 2:40 p.m., 2,363 responses
  • Latest dismissal time parents would support: 4 p.m., 1,335 responses

View a full summary of the Parent Survey #2 (PDF)

Vea el resumen completo de la encuesta nº 2 (en formato PDF)

Bell Schedule Committee

The district formed a Bell Schedule Committee comprised of nearly 70 participants, including 27 teachers, 26 parents, seven building administrators and 10 district support and leadership staff. Participants were selected based on interest indicated in a survey and represented all school levels and feeder systems.

The committee convened twice in February, on Feb. 7 and 21, to review the scope and need of transportation services, look at all possible options to alleviate transportation concerns, and study the three-tier option extensively. This included reviewing feedback collected through surveys and focus groups, as well as reviewing and voting on 10 different proposed bell schedules.