Change in Start and End Times
As communicated by the school district, the start and end times to the school day have changed at many schools, including Hamilton Middle. The reason for this change is the unavailability of bus drivers in adequate numbers to provide the needed transportation of students across all schools. As such, start and end times are being further staggered across all schools so that buses that are available can make multiple routes to multiple schools. I recognize as both the principal at Hamilton and as a parent of an MMSD student that this change is frustrating and that it is causing many of you to reconsider existing schedules of your own and those for your family. I apologize for the inconvenience. The good news is that we will be welcoming our students live and in person very soon to begin the new school year.
Below are some points that may help you to understand further about the change to our Hamilton start and end times.
Nationwide Issue: The national bus driver shortage actually began to occur prior to the pandemic and as the pandemic has lingered, there has been a growing impact on the transportation services in many school districts across Wisconsin.
Temporary: Despite the ongoing shortage in drivers, we are being told that the current situation is temporary and that things will improve as new drivers come online. Under the current plan, if enough drivers are found, schools will revert back to their regularly scheduled start and end times at the beginning of second semester.
Root Cause: The district has the appropriate funding, buses, and systems in place to accommodate transportation needs. MMSD has everything needed except one critical resource -- an adequate number of bus drivers.
A Community Challenge: As a community, the pandemic has provided many challenges, and MMSD will continue to work collaboratively to find solutions to these challenges.
