Dresden schools’ new bell times to create efficiencies, cut costs: LKDSB

New start times for the public elementary and high school in Dresden will provide efficiency and cost savings, Lambton Kent District school board says.

Article content

Bell times for students attending Lambton Kent Composite secondary school and Dresden Area Central elementary school will change for the coming 2024-25 school year, a board release said.

Article content

Beginning Sept. 3, DAC pupils will start school at 8 am and be dismissed at 2:20 pm and LKC students will begin school at 8:05 am and be dismissed at 2:15 pm, it said.

Currently, DAC classes begin at 9:15 am and dismissal is at 3:35 pm LKD students start classes at 8:01 am and are dismissed at 2:10 pm, the board’s website says.

The bell time changes means school bus service will change to a kindergarten to Grade 12 integrated service model that will see LKC and DAC students ride together on shared routes, the LKDSB said.

Article content

“There are many reasons for the change, one being the efficiencies that switching to the K-12 integrated service model will provide LKDSB,” Caress Lee, a board public relations officer, said by email.

The move is expected to save the board $250,000 a year in transportation costs, she said. “This change also allows a more efficient student transportation routing solution for the Dresden community that ultimately will reduce the school bus vehicle emissions and carbon footprint without a service reduction for students (and) families.

This aligns with the board’s strategic priority of sustainable stewardship, Lee said.

Inquiries from parents have been limited so far, with just a couple of emails and phone calls and “a mixed response on our social media platforms,” she said.

Article content

The board is making every effort to get the message out early to “provide families the maximum amount of time to understand the change, its impacts on them and to prepare for the rollout in the fall,” Lee said

The board is “investigating if (and) where similar changes can be made” in other school communities, Lee said.

Impact of new bell times

What will change

• School pickup and drop-off times will be aligned with new bell times.
• The bus students currently ride may change with the updated kindergarten to Grade 12 integrated service and route updates.
• All buses will serve both LKC and DAC and therefore, K-12 students will ride each bus.

What will stay the same

• DAC pupils will continue to have seating assignments at the front of the bus and seats at the rear will be open for LKC students.
• Bus stop locations for all students will stay the same.
• There will be no substantial change to average riding times.
• Maximum bus loading parameters will remain the same.

[email protected]

Article content