Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Sweet Home Central School District is changing start times for the 2025-2026 school year, to add 15 minutes of instruction time for all students.
In addition, Superintendent Mike Ginestre said the plan is also helping to offset a severe shortage of bus drivers in the district.
"We're really short on bus drivers in the district. I know it's a common issue for many school districts in Western New York and across the country," Ginestre told WBEN.
The district decided this was the right time to add instructional time and address the bus driver shortage.
"Change is very difficult," he said. "I understand that it interrupts patterns and schedules but after a year and a half of study, getting students to school safely and in a timely manner is the priority."
Here are the changes:
High School:
Currently: 7:25 a.m.-to-1:54 p.m.
Next school year: 7:19 a.m.-to-2:05 p.m.
Middle School:
Currently: 9:15 a.m.-to-3:45 p.m.
Next school year: 7:40 a.m.-to-2:24 p.m.
Elementary Schools:
Currently: 8:30 a.m.-to-2:15 p.m. and 9 a.m.-to-2:45 p.m.
Next school year: 8:55 a.m.-to-3:10 p.m. (students would depart the building at 3:15)
"The biggest change will be for the middle schools. Right now middle school starts around 9 a.m. It ends very close to 4 p.m. (3:55 p.m.). We are putting the middle school more in line with the high school. The middle school will start about 20 minutes after the high school. That's a big shift," explained Ginestre.
He said Grades 6 through 12 will ride the bus together, which is a change in Sweet Home. It's designed to create efficiencies in bus runs.
One other change next school year would see a walking radius for elementary schools of .25 miles
He added there was some push back and concerns, but in the end safety and getting kids to school on time are the priority and it was approved by the Sweet Home Board of Education.
Earlier this week, a proposal to alter start times in the Williamsville Central School District was not brought to a vote, after failing to gain enough support.