Gilbert simplifies school schedule to address late bus issues
Apr 10, 2019, 7:15 PM
(Facebook Photo/The Official Gilbert Public Schools District)
PHOENIX – To address chronically late buses, one of the Valley’s largest school districts is changing its start and end times.
The Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board voted Tuesday to adopt a simplified bell schedule starting in the 2019-20 school year.
Under the new plan, all schools at each level will have the same start and end times as follows:
- High schools: 7:30 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.
- Elementary schools: 8:10 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.
- Junior high schools: 8:40 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“We are encouraged this solution will, in the future, allow us to direct additional funds to the classroom while improving transportation safety and reliability,” the district said a Wednesday announcement.
The board made the decision after hiring an external consultant and soliciting feedback from parents and staff.
Under the existing system, there are nine bell times for 38 schools, a system “designed to fail,” according to Gauge Precision Consulting’s report.
According to Niche.com, Gilbert Public Schools is the fourth largest public school district in metro Phoenix with more than 34,000 students.