Start and End Time and Transportation Changes for Fall 2023
Summary: Part of the 2023 Budget plan includes changes to transportation services. The changes provide significant budget savings without large-scale changes.
Transportation Changes 2023-24
Start of School Transportation Updates
Transportation Services Families with students eligible for transportation services will have their routes mailed to their home address before the start of school.
Youth Ride Metro Free! SPS students and all youth under 18 can ride King County Metro and Link Light Rail for FREE! Read more about transportation updates and options for families.
Please Walk, Ride, and Drive Safely We are all eager to begin the new school year, please remember to drive and ride carefully throughout our community—especially near our schools. The return of students means we will have increased pedestrian and car traffic. Please plan additional time when taking students to school and driving through Seattle neighborhoods.
Our transportation team has gathered resources and tips for walking, biking, and rolling to school.
Schools with New Start and End Times
Twelve schools will change their start and end time for the new school year.
School start and end times have a significant effect on district budgets. Currently, our two-tier bell schedule is out of balance. The change will enable SPS transportation to increase yellow bus service efficiency. Bus drivers who serve these schools will be able to drive two or more routes rather than being limited to one route.
The following schools will have a new start time for 2023-24. The length of the school day remains the same.
The change will be in effect on the first day of school, Sept. 6. All schools have early release on Wednesdays, except the first day of school.
7:55 a.m. Start Time
School start and end time 7:55 a.m.-2:25 p.m.
Early release Wednesday 7:55 a.m.-1:10 p.m.
- Adams
- Concord
- Licton Springs K-8
- Thurgood Marshall
- TOPS K-8
8:55 a.m. Start Time
School start and end time: 8:55 a.m.-3:25 p.m.
Early release Wednesday 8:55 a.m.-2:10 p.m.
- Bailey Gatzert
- Dearborn Park
- John Hay
- Green Lake
- South Shore PreK-8
- View Ridge
- West Woodland
Supplemental Shuttle Service and Kimball Temporary Bus Route
SPS will also end supplemental shuttle service for five high schools and a temporary bus route that supported a school boundary change. Families with a student at the effected schools will received a separate message on May 5.
Supplemental shuttles were created to provide extra services for neighborhoods that had limited Metro bus services. Beginning September 2023, Ballard, Cleveland STEM, Ingraham, Lincoln, and Chief Sealth International will no longer have supplemental shuttle services. This change does not affect students who receive transportation services as part of the special education services as identified in their IEP.
A temporary bus route was added in 2021-22 school to support the Kimball Elementary school boundary change. The district will not renew this temporary bus service.
Please visit the transportation webpage for additional information and answers to frequently asked questions.
Resources
- Transportation: Find SPS transportation resources for students and families.
- Child Care: Find contact information for the child care providers at SPS sites.
