MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Board of School Directors is considering changing school start times for multiple reasons, including saving money on transportation services, more daily hours for Milwaukee bus drivers, and to increase student attendance.
The topic will be discussed during the school board's "Committee on Strategic Planning and Budget" meeting on Thursday evening.
This is the current model the school district is using:
2 Tier Model (roughly):
a) 6:30a-7:30a/2:30p-3:30p Tier 1
b) 7:30a-8:30a/3:30p-4:30p Tier 2
Milwaukee Public Schools says right now, about $60 million of the total $65 million budget is dedicated to buses that take students to school and back home. Approximately 1,000 buses go to about 2,000 routes with 2,500 drivers coming from 9 private contractors.
Here's what the school district is proposing:
3 Tier Model (High School Early):
a) 6:45a-7:10a/2:25p-3:00p Tier 1 – High School and Traditional MS
b) 7:45a-8:10a/3:10p-4:00p Tier 2 – K8 and K5 Traditional Schools
c) 8:45a-9:10a/4:10p-5:00p Tier 3 – K8, K5 Specialty Schools or Traditional Schools with ESL/BIL
- Long Term: 750-800 buses total
- $4-5 million savings*
2. 3 Tier Model (High School Late):
a) 6:45a-7:10a/2:10p-2:50p Tier 1 –K8, K5 Specialty or Traditional Schools with ESL/BIL
b) 7:45a-8:10a/3:10p-3:50p Tier 2 – K8 and K5 Traditional Schools
c) 8:35a-9:00a/4:15p-4:50p Tier 3 – High School and Traditional MS
- Long Term: 700-750 buses total
- $5-6 million savings*
The school district says fewer drivers will be needed, which will save roughly $2-3 million for every 100 fewer buses. Milwaukee Public Schools also say more daily hours will be given to local bus drivers and there will be shorter ride times for all students.
The district also suggests later school times for high school students means those they'll get more hours of sleep, increase their attendance, and do better in school. The school also says the 3 Tier model will cut down on traffic by reducing buses and spreading out travel.
If the plan is approved, it's not clear when it will go into effect.
You can see the suggested start times for your child's school here.
