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.

Budget Plan and Transportation Changes for 2023-24

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. View current bell schedule (2022-23 school year).

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 receive a separate message on Friday, 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. 

Information Session on June 13

In early May, Seattle Public Schools sent families a message about transportation or school schedule changes for the 2023-24 school year. These changes include start and end time changes for some schools, elimination of the Kimball Elementary neighborhood to Washington Middle School bus, and elimination of high school shuttles.

Community Information Session

Our team is here to assist families through this transition. The information session, originally planned for May, has been rescheduled to allow more time for family participation. The hour-long event will include a presentation and an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.

Date: Tuesday, June 13
Time: 6 – 7 p.m.
Location: Online Microsoft Teams Meeting
Join on your computer or mobile app 
Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 271 604 224 120
Passcode: gjwppQ
Download Teams | Join on the web

The meeting will be recorded. We will publish the video along with a translated transcript on our transportation webpage after the event.

Resources

You can contact us using our Let’s Talk feedback form.

Sincerely,

Steven Richard
Director of Transportation
Seattle Public Schools

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