Kaylie McLaughlin  - JoCo Notes

JoCo Notes: Olathe schools could change start, end times next year

Olathe school district is considering changes to its start and end times to address a bus driver shortage that's plagued USD 233.

Olathe school district is considering changes to its start and end times to address a bus driver shortage that's plagued USD 233. Photo courtesy Shutterstock.

Happy Thursday, Blue Valley!

☀️Today’s forecast: Mostly sunny. High: 67. Low: 43.

🚨 One thing to know

The Olathe school district is considering changes to its elementary, middle and high school start and end times for the 2024-2025 school year. 

Superintendent Brent Yeager said in a prerecorded video in September that the proposed changes are meant to address a bus driver shortage. These shortages caused Olathe schools to push rolling blackouts on some of its pay-to-ride bus routes last year and deal with other challenges with student transportation. 

By shifting start and end times, the school district can take a three-tiered approach to its busing schedule, allowing one bus driver to potentially transport students to up to three different schools on separate routes. 

Currently, high schoolers start at 8 a.m., middle schoolers start at 7:50 a.m. and elementary schoolers start at 8:20 a.m. 

Under the new proposal, high school students would start at 7:40 a.m., middle school students would start at 8:20 a.m. and elementary students would start at 8:55 a.m. 

In addition to providing a long-term solution to the driver shortage, this solution is also expected to help the school district save money on transportation costs.   

The school board will vote on the start and end time recommendation at its Dec. 7 meeting. Find more information about past discussions on the issue and what district administration is proposing here. 

🗓 Public meetings Thursday

  • Johnson County Board of County Commissioners at 9:30 a.m. [View agenda]
  • Johnson County Board of County Commissioners Committee of the Whole at 11 a.m. [View agenda]
  • JCCC Board of Trustees at 5 p.m. [View agenda] 
  • Overland Park Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee at 6:30 p.m. [View agenda]

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  3. J.Crew Factory opens new Overland Park discount store
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  5. Why we’ll become the Johnson County Post in January

📸 A thousand words

Some brightly colored flora lingers at the Overland Park Arboretum and the Botanical Gardens as fall settles in. Photo credit Kaylie McLaughlin. 

Some brightly colored flora lingers at the Overland Park Arboretum and the Botanical Gardens as fall settles in.

👋 Hi! I'm Kaylie McLaughlin, and I cover Overland Park for the Blue Valley Post.

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A bit about me and my background:

I grew up in Shawnee and graduated from Mill Valley in 2017. I attended Kansas State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2021. While there, I worked for the K-State Collegian, serving as the editor-in-chief. As a student, I interned for the Wichita Eagle, the Shawnee Mission Post and KSNT in Topeka. I also contributed to the KLC Journal and the Kansas Reflector. Before joining the Post in 2023 as a full-time reporter, I worked for the Olathe Reporter.