CINCINNATI — Some CPS schools will have a different start time for the 2023-24 academic year as the district attempts to address ongoing transportation issues.
The Cincinnati Board of Education agreed at its April 19 meeting on a two-tier system that will space out school start times to help ensure students get to school on time and make it home earlier. Parents have long complained that their children often arrive at school late and have a long trip home due to the district's bus driver shortage.
"Based on current routes, and looking at forecasts for next fall, the District has 36 more routes than drivers available, which is causing route stacking and some students getting to school late in the morning and home in the afternoon," the district said in its announcement.
4Mative, a transportation technology and consulting company, was brought in by CPS to analyze some of the district's best options — including the two-tier system that its CEO said would eliminate at least 33 buses, saving CPS about $2-3 million each year. The district hosted multiple roundtables to get community feedback, and CPS chose to move forward with the two-tier idea.
The new start times are 7:40 a.m. and 8:50 a.m., and 8 a.m. and 9:10 a.m.
Multiple schools will have changed start times that are only 10-15 minutes before or after their start times this year. There are 10 schools with a change of more than 15 minutes:
- AMIS
- Old start time — 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
- New start time — 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
- Carson School
- Old start time — 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
- New start time — 8:50 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.
- Gamble Montessori Elementary
- Old start time — 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
- New start time — 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
- Hartwell School
- Old start time — 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
- New start time — 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Hughes STEM High School
- Old start time — 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
- New start time — 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- North Avondale Montessori
- Old start time — 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
- New start time — 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
- Rising Stars Academy at Gamble
- Old start time — 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
- New start time — 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
- Roselawn Condon School
- Old start time — 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
- New start time — 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
- SCPA 9-12
- Old start time — 8:30 a.m. to 2:59 p.m.
- New start time — 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
- Taft Elementary
- Old start time — 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
- New start time — 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
The district said it is also recommending new start times for non-CPS schools that receive transportation from the district. To see the start times for every CPS school and alternative school, click here.
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