Beginning in the fall, Cincinnati Public Schools will have new start times for many of its schools.
The changes come as the district works to fix issues caused by its bus driver shortage. CPS currently has 36 more routes than drivers available, which has caused transportation delays resulting in students arriving late for the start of the school day.
While some schools will only see minor changes, more than a dozen of the district's schools will have their start times adjusted by more than 15 minutes — like Taft Elementary in Mt Auburn whose start time will move from 7:30 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
CPS says the plan will allow drivers to cover multiple routes by picking up groups of students at different times while still getting them to school on time.
Dismissal times will also change. Some schools, like Hartwell Elementary, will get out 15 minutes later, while students at Hughes STEM High School will be released a full 45 minutes earlier than this year.
The district is also recommending new start times for non-CPS schools that utilize the district's buses to transport students. State law requires the public school district to provide busing for students attending charter and private schools in town, which has contributed to the transportation issue.
The updated schedule looks to avoid serious delays and mishaps, which have been a concern for parents in the district for years and led to numerous penalties from the Ohio Department of Education. Last year, ODE withheld over$2.5 million from Cincinnati Public Schools' transportation budget due to non-compliance.
Start times for the rest of the current school year will remain unchanged. The new times will only go into effect at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year.
A full list of start time changes can be found here.
Schools with a start time change of 15 minutes or more
Cincinnati Public Schools
- AMIS - 9:15 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
- Carson - 7:45 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
- Rising Stars @ Carthage - 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- Gamble Elem. - 8:15 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
- Rising Stars @ Gamble - 8:15 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
- Hartwell - 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- Hughes - 8:45 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- North Avondale - 7:45 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
- Roselawn - 9:15 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
- SCPA (Grades 9-12) - 8:30 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
- Taft Elementary - 7:30 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
Alternative Schools:
- New Path High - 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- Learning Ctr. - Norwood 8:25 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
- Stepping Stones - 8:30 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
