Unit 5 - School Start Times
Frequently Asked Questions
Unit 5 is considering changes in start times for the 2016-2017 school year to address
a $1.3 million budget deficit in the Unit 5 Transportation Fund.
What are the current start times?
7:15 am – 2:30 pm – High School
7:45 am – 2:57 pm – Junior High
8:45 am – 3:30 pm – Elementary
What are the proposed start times?
There are currently two scenarios being looked at for the 2016-2017 school year.
Scenario #1 (Modified Two-Tier System – High School and Junior High Students on same buses)
7:40 am - 2:25 pm - Elementary
8:25 am - 3:30 pm - High School (includes a reduction of 10 minutes in the school day)
8:40 am - 3:45 pm - Junior High (includes a reduction of 10 minutes in the school day)
Scenario #2 (Three-Tier System)
7:15 am - 2:15 pm – High School (includes a reduction of 15 minutes in the school day)
8:00 am - 3:00 pm – Junior High (includes a reduction of 15 minutes in the school day)
9:00 am - 3:45 pm – Elementary
Why is a change necessary?
Unit 5 is currently running a $1.3 million structural deficit in its Transportation Fund. To cover that cost, we are using
reserves. Once reserves are depleted, the District would have to look to other funds (e.g. Education, Operations and
Maintenance, etc.,) potentially leaving shortfalls in those areas.
Why is Unit 5 running a deficit in Transportation?
Unit 5 has a $1.3 million structural deficit in the Transportation Fund because the state is only funding schools at about 70
percent of what we should receive. This shortfall from the state has occurred for the past seven years. Last school year,
that 30 percent difference totaled $1.48 million. Over the course of seven years the amount owed to Unit 5 from the state
for Transportation totals $8.35 million.
How could a change in start times save money?
To operate efficiently and use the fewest number of buses, Unit 5 needs at least 45 minutes between each tier (high
school, junior high and elementary). Our current schedule does not provide that time gap and as a result we are using a
larger number of buses, which costs the district more money. Even with adding additional buses, we have buses dropping
off and picking up students late, both to and from school. For example, we had a bus picking up at one of our elementary
schools at least 20 minutes late each day. We were able to reduce that time, only by making another bus run late.
Why does moving elementary first help save money?
Elementary students require the largest number of buses and the schools are spread throughout the district boundaries.
Once the elementary students are dropped off, the buses will then spread throughout the district meaning they are closer
to junior high/high school bus stops making routing more efficient.
How do you decide who receives bus transportation?
All Students who live 1.5 miles from school are legally provided free transportation. Students who live less than 1.5 miles
from school and have a legally designated hazard stop also receive free transportation, as do some special education
students living less than 1.5 miles from school.
Why are you proposing changing the length of the secondary school day?
Currently, high school and junior high schools are each 7 hours and 15 minutes long, while elementary day is 6 hours and
45 minutes. The ½ hour difference in length of day makes it difficult to build a bus schedule that allows 45 minutes
between each tier, at the start and end of the school day. We are considering shortening the high school and junior high
day by 10-15 minutes (depending on the scenario) to help make that easier.
What will happen to 5th grade music if the elementary start time is changed?
Fifth grade students currently ride the junior high school bus for band and orchestra prior to the start of their school day. If
the elementary schools have an earlier start time, those 5th grade students would be transported to the junior high
schools at the end of their school day and would then ride the junior high bus home.
Why can’t everyone start school at the same time?
Having a one-tier busing system would require more than doubling our fleet of buses as well as the number of drivers who
would be needed. Hiring that many new drivers would be challenging, not to mention cost prohibitive. The district would
also need to purchase or lease additional buses at a significant cost.
With the later school start time for junior high and high school, won’t kids just stay up later at night?
Research does not support that. The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement findings ran counter to
the fears and expectations that a later start would result in students staying awake an hour later on school nights.
Students included in the study reported getting an extra hour of sleep each night even after four years into the school start
time change.
Most of the research and media attention is focused on the benefits for secondary students. What are the
benefits for the elementary students?
Research shows that elementary students are biologically predisposed to earlier bedtimes and earlier wake-up times.
Many younger students are already in a daycare setting prior to the start of school. They are already focused, engaged
and ready for learning at this time of day. While most of the research has centered on secondary students, the research
around elementary-aged students has shown no ill effects.
Is it possible with an earlier start time for elementary students that some students will be waiting for the bus in
the dark in the winter?
It is possible but unlikely. The earliest elementary pickup time will be about 7 a.m. Our students in many rural areas, which
often have the longest routes, are picked up at their homes. Currently, some elementary students are dropped off after
dusk, and an earlier start time would alleviate that issue.
Why did Unit 5 do a survey?
Unit 5 wanted to gather input from parents, students and staff members about the proposed start times and transportation
changes. More than 6,000 people participated. These results have been reviewed and are playing an important role in the
decision making process. The survey showed that no matter what is decided, there is no way to please everyone. And,
while we recognize change is difficult, ultimately we must be fiscally responsible and make decisions that are best for
students.
Our older kids watch our younger ones after school. How are families supposed to adjust for this?
While we know every family situation is different, we hope this will give families enough time to make necessary
adjustments. Local day care facilities have extended hours in the morning and evening, and we have childcare programs
operating in every elementary school. There are some assistance programs available for low-income families. The
decision the board will make will always focus on what is in the best interest of all students as a whole.
Since junior high and high school students will get out of school later, will my child miss class time if they are in
an event that begins late in the afternoon?
Yes. Some students already miss a portion of the school day and students are responsible for getting their school work
completed. However, the time most students will miss is minimal. Students who participate in extracurricular activities
must maintain passing grades in order to continue to participate.
What about students who work after school?
Their hours will have to change or they will have to work later into the evening. The district must make a decision on the
school start times based on educational research and being fiscally responsible. Unit 5 will work to communicate any
changes to area businesses that employ our students.
Who has been involved with this process?
A strategic planning group has been studying transportation cost-saving measures since October. This group was open to
all parents, students, staff, and community members. The recommendations from that group, along with the survey results
was then reviewed by a smaller group, including teachers, principals, district administrators, community members and
students.
When will the Board of Education make a decision?
Unit 5 administrators, teachers and parents will give a presentation on this proposal at the Feb. 24 board meeting at 7
p.m. at Parkside Junior High School. A formal proposal is expected at the March 9 meeting and a final decision is
expected before Spring Break so we can give families sufficient time to adjust to any changes.
What can parents do to help?
The State of Illinois has created this problem for Unit 5. If we were fully funded, we would not have to be taking these
drastic measures of increasing route lengths and reducing buses. We need parents, staff and community members to
contact legislators and say public education must be fully funded. Contact information for local and state elected officials
is available at www.unit5.org.