The bell schedule for the Pulaski County Special School District is changing again, but this time it's the elementary students turn to get up early.
Parents of elementary school students will have to wake their kids up a little earlier to make it to the bus stop on time. Class starts 10 minutes earlier starting Monday morning.
While ten minutes may not seem like a big deal, there's a bit of a snag in the school districts plans. By court order, the Pulaski County Special School District had to shorten student's days.
Superintendent Dr. Charles Hopson says, the district tried to do that with the least amount of impact to students, parents, and teachers, but the new schedule does come with some adjustments. There are not enough buses to pick up all the students in the district at the same time, so elementary school students will have to wait about 45 minutes after classes let out to be bused home from school.
However, that won't be the case for long. Transportation Director Brad Montgomery says, they've come up with a plan that will fit the district's needs, but it's not going to be ready to go on Monday when the bell schedule changes take effect. The district plans to lease 50 more buses, but they won't be available until the end of October.
School started just a few weeks ago and many kids and parents have just adjusted to the new routine. Many say, the way the schedule is right now works for them, and they don't want to see it change.
Elementary school kids who have to wait for the bus do have options. Parents can sign them up for after school activities or extra tutoring, or the kids can play on the playground while waiting for the bus.
