Schools are assigned bell times for September 2021
Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), with the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, have concluded the joint bell time study through the Hamilton-Wentworth Student Transportation System (HWSTS).
As a result, bell times have been changed in some schools to address the bus driver shortage.
Dawn Danko, Chair of the Board, offered the following as families prepare for the change in some schools starting September.
“Our families and students have made it very clear that we need to address our school bus driver shortage. Conducting a bell times study was another way to find efficiencies in student transportation in collaboration with our coterminous board. Through this review, twenty-seven buses have been reduced. Most importantly, our students will no longer be delayed in getting to school or their home. Our students deserve to arrive on time. We thank families for their understanding as we navigate through these changes in bell times and as new family routines emerge.”
At HWDSB, elementary schools will now start between 8:10 to 9:30 a.m. and dismiss between 2:30 to 3:50 p.m. Secondary schools will start between 8 to 9:30 a.m. and dismiss between 2:30 to 3:15 p.m.
The joint bell time study looked at all school bell times across the district in both school boards, and adjusted some school bell times to begin in September 2021, to make the routes more efficient and reduce the number of buses on the road.
For more information, families are asked to visit their school website for a letter that has been posted on March 25. Communication is being shared at this time with families to provide as much notice as possible for the changes next fall.
Updated on Thursday, March 25, 2021.