Seattle Public Schools has put on hold its proposal to change class start times this fall, less than a month after floating the idea to families. The proposal had been met with strong pushback from board members and parents.

As a result, it’s likely the district will begin the 2022-23 school year with reduced bus routes because of an ongoing nationwide shortage of bus drivers, according to the district’s statement. The district cut 142 bus routes in October because of driver shortages and still hasn’t been able to restore 50 routes. At capacity, the district has 600 routes.

“This determination will allow us to keep the current structure as we continue to find ways to improve transportation services,” a statement from the district said. “The national bus driver shortage continues to affect our ability to provide full service to all students who are eligible for transportation.”

Start times for high schools could change by 10 minutes, officials said, but it’s unknown if it would be 10 minutes earlier or later. Start times for other schools will likely remain the same.

Seattle Schools has long suffered from transportation issues. Buses have been chronically late, some students have been dropped off at the wrong stops, and the district’s contractor was found to have committed hundreds of safety violations. First Student, the district’s longtime bus company, has been recommended by staff for another three-year contract, but California-based bus company Zum is challenging that recommendation. 

The board was originally scheduled to vote on the schedule changes Wednesday. Now that vote is on hold. 

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The proposal wasn’t popular among some board members, including Vivian Song Maritz, who said she would vote against the proposal. Board member Michelle Sarju said she wasn’t convinced student needs were the top priority when the plan was being formed. Meanwhile, parents started a change.org petition pushing back on the proposal; so far, it has received more than 1,000 signatures. 

District officials say they are looking into other solutions to address the driver shortage, and will be gathering input from families in the coming months.

Seattle Schools currently has two start times: 7:55 a.m. and 8:55 a.m. The district proposed switching to a three-start time schedule that, if passed, would have had most elementary students starting at 7:40 a.m. and all high schoolers and most middle school students beginning at 8:30 a.m. A mix of elementary, middle and K-8 schools would begin at 9:30 a.m. A two-start schedule gives bus drivers less time to finish routes, the district found in the 2017-18 school year, when it cut the number of start times to allow teens to start school later.

Parents worried that younger students would be waiting for buses in the dark during winter months. Schedule changes could have increased child care needs, and after-school programs would have needed to adjust their schedules. Many older students also care for their younger siblings, and different dismissal times could complicate that arrangement.

But district officials said the proposed changes could have saved $5 million and allowed all students eligible for transportation to be served. In addition, buses could be used for other activities, and bus drivers would be paid more and have the opportunity to work more hours.

It’s still unclear which bus company Seattle Schools will use for bus service for the next school year. First Student has been a longtime transportation provider for Seattle, and its $40 million contract with the bus company expires in August.

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District staff recommended the board award a new three-year contract to First Student even though the company’s charter bus service was found to have committed more than 600 safety violations. Among those violations: First Student failed to screen drivers for drugs and alcohol, and allowed some vehicles to continue transporting students even though some seats weren’t securely attached.

Zum claims Seattle Schools used incorrect information when evaluating its bid. According to a bid protest Zum submitted May 10, the district miscalculated the final cost of the contract, and Zum’s final offer would cost the district about $3.3 million less per year.

“SPS’ students and parents deserve better than the unreliable transportation services provided by the multinational company First Student,” the bid protest letter from Zum said. “For several years, the SPS community has suffered through First Student’s subpar yet overpriced school transportation services.”

Currently, the district spends $3,306 per student on transportation, higher than any other district in the state and more than three times the national average. 

It’s unknown when the board will vote on transportation contracts, district spokesperson Tim Robinson said. The district declined to say if it is reviewing Zum’s bid or checking for errors made during the evaluation process.