Bus System Near 'Breaking Point'

Consulting Firm Report Weighs Options for More Efficiency, Later School Bells

In Fairfax County, some students must board buses before dark to make classes that begin at 7:20 a.m. But a new report provides the county with options for later school start times. (By James A. Parcell -- The Washington Post)

The Fairfax County school bus system is being "pushed to the breaking point," a report found, and needs to be restructured in coming years to handle increasing traffic congestion in the urbanizing county.

The finding came from Management Partnership Services Inc., a Rockville consulting firm, in its assessment of starting high school classes later to help teenagers -- often up before dawn to board buses -- get the sleep they need. The report did not recommend a specific approach but looked at options such as consolidating stops, having some students walk longer distances to board buses and eliminating service for students who go to special facilities for gifted or magnet programs.

The group said it was impossible to pinpoint a price tag but that altering the bus system to start school later would cost about $9 million extra each year. They also warned of substantial initial costs to make bus routes efficient. They also said any change would require revamping the whole transportation system.

"Implementation of the theoretical solution on a practical level is very, very difficult," said consultant Tom Platt. "This is a large, complex system."

At most county high schools, first period starts around 7:20 a.m., and some students board buses an hour before that. School officials have said they would like to have the first bell later, but they have to be cautious about the cost and potential pitfalls in changing such a large transportation system.

"I think the majority of the board would like to see us be able to offer later start times to high school students, if we can do it without having to cut back on any of the other services we offer," said School Board member Kaye Kory (Mason).

For instance, officials do not want elementary students to arrive home after dark.

Several board members said that even without considering a change to start times, the report makes it clear that the school system must consider busing changes.

"We're at the brink," said board member Janet S. Oleszek (At Large). "We will be required to do something. We have no option."

Each day, 1,570 buses shuttle about 110,000 county students to and from school. The bus system has been strained for years, partly because of increasingly congested routes and a lack of qualified bus drivers.

Fairfax parents have pushed for a later first bell, saying that teenagers are not made to start the day so early. They say the schedule results in cranky students and stressed-out families.

Doctors agree that children and teenagers need more sleep than adults; 9 1/2 hours or more per night is recommended for a typical teenager. But research also has shown that adolescents have different sleep patterns from adults, making them bleary-eyed in the morning and more alert in the evening.

If the board decides to make changes, which would take a few years to implement, the consultants recommended hiring additional staff members to design a new system, so as to not disturb day-to-day operations. The school system also would have to consider potential implications for rush-hour traffic.

Sandy Evans, a Fairfax parent and co-founder of Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal (SLEEP), said she hopes the School Board will keep looking for a way to start high school later.

"We were heartened," Evans said. "The report showed that later start times are feasible at a reasonable cost."