In August of 2025, a committee made up of representatives from transportation, elementary, middle, and high school administrators, NEA Manhattan-Ogden and district administration began meeting about a proposal to move the district from a 2-tier school start and end time to a 3-tier school start and end time. The Board of Education directed the District Administration to look into the 3-tier system after seeing another large Kansas school district move to the same format to help with their transportation shortages. 3-tier start and end times had been on the Board of Education future agenda items list since March 5, 2025. 

Key considerations about this proposal included:

• Shorter, safer routes: Most routes would be shorter in length, and secondary routes would have fewer students per bus.
• Expanded opportunities: A 3-tier system could allow for more buses and drivers to be available for field trips, extracurricular activities, and athletics.
• Improved transportation efficiency: Fewer drivers would be needed, and existing drivers would have the opportunity for more consistent hours.
• No change to eligibility: Transportation eligibility requirements remain unchanged.
• Cost neutral: This shift should not increase costs and will reduce the number of buses needed in the long term.

Parents, staff, and secondary students were sent a survey via ParentSquare on September 24, 2025.  All three groups had until October 9, 2025 to fill out a survey. To see the survey summary and full survey data, please see our survey page.

The committee reconvened after the survey closed on October 10, 2025 to discuss the results. During each committee meeting, representatives also brought questions and concerns from Site Councils and staff meetings to discuss as a group. 

The committee presented their findings of the survey and their proposed 3 tier schedule to the Board of Education at a Work Session on October 28, 2025. At this work session, no specific schedule was proposed, only a 3-tier schedule was discussed. 

On November 14, 2025, the committee met again to discuss what options should be brought to the Board of Education for the December 3, 2025 meeting. The agenda with the recommendation for the December 3 meeting can be found on our Board of Education website. This issue, like most recommendations being brought to the Board, would need to be read at two meetings. 

At the December 3, 2025 Board of Education meeting, several public comments were made about the recommendation. The Board revised and accepted on first reading (6-0) the 3 tier school start and end times for the 2026-2027 school year as high school (7:30am - 2:40pm), middle schools/early learning centers (8:05am - 3:15pm) and elementary schools (8:50am - 3:50pm). 

The recommendation was added to the agenda for the December 17, 2025 Board of Education meeting for the second reading and final approval. This agenda can be found on our Board of Education website. At this meeting, the Board of Education reversed course and gave final approval (5-2) to the initial recommendation for the 3 tier school start and end times for the 2026-2027 school year as elementary schools (7:30am - 2:30pm), high school (8:00am - 3:10pm), early learning centers (8:40am - 3:40pm), and middle schools (8:40am – 3:50pm).

Both meetings are available to view on our YouTube channel.