Chicago Public Schools officials have changed the bell schedules for 82 high schools and elementary schools for the 2015-16 school year in an effort to alleviate the mounting budget crisis.
The plans were first announced July 1 as part of a $200 million reduction in spending. The time changes are expected to save CPS $13.5 million in transportation costs over the course of next year.
“Every dollar we save by staggering school bell times and streamlining transportation services next school year is one more dollar we don’t have to cut from our classrooms,” CPS CEO Forrest Claypool said in a statement Thursday.
The shifting of bus arrival times came from an analysis that revealed that CPS’ transportation costs far outpace those at other large, urban districts.
Most high school start times will switch to 9 a.m. and elementary schools will move to 7:30 or 7:45 a.m.
A full list of schools with new bell times is available here.