KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, including Olathe. Send Olivia a story idea.
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Olathe students are returning to school this year with new start and end times.
The district says these changes will help bus drivers, but parents are concerned about how it's disrupting their days.
“The change to the start and end times has really been in conversation with our community for a couple of years now,” said Becky Grubaugh, executive director of communications and community relations with Olathe Public Schools.
Grubaugh says the bell schedule changes stem from a need for bus drivers.
Staggering the start times means one bus driver could complete up to three routes per day. Previously, they were only able to do one or two routes.
Despite years of conversation and pushback from parents, the district says they hope these changes can work for all families moving forward.
“We've heard about some of the later starts being a challenge for families and needing to adjust childcare and find solutions for that and we absolutely recognize and empathize with that challenge,” Grubaugh said.
Laura Gower is an Olathe mom who feels the schedule change challenge.
“Having to change my work schedule and things like that are going to be a little bit of a challenge,” Gower said.
Gower says she and her husband have enough flexibility with their work schedules to accommodate the new times, but she recognizes not all families do.
“I have some friends who are struggling because they don't have flexibility," she said. "They need to be at work at seven, and it's really hard to get into JCPRD."
JCPRD’s Olathe care program is full. Gower says this is common each year, so she wonders how the new schedule will affect availability.
Under the new bell schedule, high schoolers start at 7:40 a.m. and end at 2:40 p.m., middle schoolers from 8:20 a.m. to 3:20 p.m., and elementary from 8:55 a.m. to 3:55 p.m.
“It'll be an adjustment, you know, for us as a community as a whole, so we're just gonna have to adjust like we do with anything," Gower said.
The district says these changes will help them be able to do more with fewer bus drivers.
The new schedule will take OPS from needing around 180 bus drivers to around 140. Plus, the district will be able to reinstate pay ride services for families that live outside the typical bus routes.
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