Students in the Appoquinimink School District may have to reset their alarm clocks next school year if a district plan to change school start times is approved.
The schedule changes introduced last week are designed to avoid the school bus problems the district has faced this school year from driver shortages and labor contract disputes.
The new plan includes earlier starts for elementary school students and later starts for middle and high school students.
The proposed school days for the 2022-2023 school year would be 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for Pre-K; 7:40 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. for K-5; 9:20 a.m. to 4 p.m. for grades 6-8; and 8:30 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. for grades 9-12.
Currently, school days are 9:30 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. for Pre-K; 9 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. for K-5; and 8 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. for grades 6-12.
The changes would allow the district to move from a two-tiered to a three-tiered bus schedule that would reduce the number of drivers needed.
The goal of these changes is to “alleviate the impact of the current driver shortage on the families in our district,” stated a presentation made by the district’s transportation committee at the last board meeting.
The transportation committee consists of board members, parents, bus drivers, administrators and education specialists.
“This has been something I think that has been on the horizon for several years as we grow,” said Thomas Poehlmann, district director of safety, security and operations. “We’re building schools, and families are moving to the area. There’s a greater need for school buses.”
The committee also looked at research on the effects of early starts on student performace, as well as concerns about after-school activities and jobs.
Amy Patterson, a parent of three students in the district and a member of the transportation committee, believes the changes are the only way the district can fix the problem.
Patterson’s children attend Bunker Hill Elementary School, Alfred G. Waters Middle School and Appoquinimink High School, making her familiar with transportation at each level.
While having her youngest child start school the earliest isn’t her first option, she feels that it is a better solution according to research conducted by the district about the sleep schedules of older students, she said.
“For my high schooler, it makes the most sense for them not to start school at 7:40,” Patterson said. “If I only had an elementary school student, my perspective would be completely different.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommend that middle and high school students start school no earlier than 8:30 a.m. to ensure they have enough sleep to perform well at school.
District data shows that while student enrollment has increased from 2015 to 2021, bus contracts have decreased.
During the 2015-2016 school year, there were 10,644 students enrolled and 124 bus contracts. For the 2020-2021 school year, there were 12,466 students and 90 bus contracts.
Unlike some school districts, Appoquinimink contracts out all its bus transportation.
“The recruiting efforts have not been as hardy as they once were,” said Poehlmann. “And then what happened? The bus driver situation got worse.”
The district offered a variety of bonuses to attract and keep bus drivers. But pandemic concerns forced older drivers out or scared retirees from volunteering for the positions, he said.
December bus strike:Delaware bus drivers on strike reach tentative agreement with employer, First Student
After a bus driver strike in early December, parents took to Facebook to share their frustrations over the transportation problems.
Several parents said their children were either not picked up for school or were arriving at school hours early or remaining after school for extra time.
The new proposal will be presented at the Feb. 8 school board meeting for approval but could be pushed into March if changes are needed.
What’s new in the district:Appoquinimink School District continues to grow. Several new and renovated schools underway.
