New bell schedules & bus routes for Tacoma Public Schools

TACOMA, Wash. — Students in the Tacoma school district are heading back to class with new bell schedules and bus times.

High school is starting 40 minutes later. Instead of at 7:35 a.m., it’s at 8:15 a.m.

“It’s okay,” parent Kenneth Bradley said. “I think it’s good because some people are not morning people.”

Bradley has three children currently in Tacoma Public Schools, including one who will be a sophomore.

His fourth child, Xaviar Seiss, died after being randomly shot while he was at a bus stop in Tacoma last year. It is a devastating loss for the family.

Bradley said he feels like his kids will be able to adapt and adjust to these changes in their daily routines.

Some elementary schools will start at the same time, 9 a.m. Others will start 20 minutes earlier, at 8:40 a.m.

Middle school students will feel the biggest change with earlier start times. Class is starting 35 minutes earlier at 7:40 a.m.

It’s too much for some families.

“Goes against the science,” parent Brittany Stokes said. “Goes against the studies. It didn’t make any sense to me.”

Two of her children were in Tacoma Public Schools last year.

For this year, she’s moved them to schools in the University Place School District. Stokes said it will make a big difference for her 11-year-old son.

“The kids need sleep,” she said. “It’s too early for him, so now he starts at 8:45 a.m., which is beautiful.”

“No district wants to change the bell schedule because of the impact on families,” reporter Linzi Sheldon said to Tacoma Public Schools Chief Communications Officer Tanisha Jumper. “Why did you have to do this?”

“Last school year we were looking at a lot of ways to reduce cost, become more efficient,” Jumper said.

Tacoma schools said out of 16 school districts it’s compared to in the region, TPS was spending the most per student when it comes to getting them to and from school.

“One of the easiest ways to solve that problem was by changing our bus times,” Jumper said. She said it’s expected to save a million dollars this year.

So what about families’ concerns?

“We really tried to make the decisions that would have the least negative impacts on people,” she said.

In the meantime, while saying goodbye to summer, kids are excited to get back to class, though it may mean slightly earlier wake up times for some of them.

As students head back, TPS also wants to make sure that families know breakfast and lunch are free for all students and they don’t need to do anything to qualify.

If students bring some food but forget a snack or a drink, they can always get those items for free.

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