SEATTLE — After a wave of pushback from families, Seattle Public Schools has decided to not change its bell schedule next year.
The district was considering moving to a three-tier bell schedule and staggering school start times to offset challenges from a lack of bus drivers. Under the initial plan, students could begin school as early as 7:30 a.m. or as late as 9:30 a.m.
In a statement Monday, the district said it would continue with a two-tier transportation system for the 2022-23 school year, which will keep start times the same for elementary, K-8 and middle school students. High school students may see a 10-minute change in start times.
“We have heard from many families who are concerned about the proposal to change school start times,” the district said.
The scrapped three-tier proposal would have allowed bus drivers to drive more routes, compensating for a lack of drivers.
However, the district is still facing the same challenges from the national bus driver shortage and warned that the start of the 2022-23 school year will likely see the same reduced bus service it had last fall.
In September, some Seattle Public Schools bus routes faced up to two-hour delays due to the shortage. The district said it would alert impacted families as quickly as possible, but some parents said they still had trouble checking for updates. In October, the district suspended 142 of its 600 bus routes in response to the shortage, which was expected to be compounded by Washington’s vaccine mandate for school district employees and third-party contractors.
The district said Monday it’s continuing to study available options for reliable transportation. It also plans to explore whether it can restore routes that have been suspended.
Parents can continue to provide feedback here.