JCPS superintendent Yearwood lists closing schools
JCPS superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood lists the schools that will be closed, consolidated and relocated in the district.
Days after announcing a plan to shift school start times next year, Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Brian Yearwood has hit pause on the proposal, indicating more discussions are needed.
“After careful review and continued conversations with families, staff and community stakeholders, JCPS will pause and withdraw the current start-time proposal,” Yearwood wrote in an email Nov. 24, just three days after news of the proposal broke.
The proposal was set to be voted on by Jefferson County Board of Education members during their next meeting on Dec. 9. If approved, it would have had all schools start 20 minutes earlier and represented the fourth bell schedule change in five years.
News of the proposal came out the evening of Nov. 21, hours after JCPS leaders hosted a press conference in which they did not mention plans for start time changes. One board member, Gail Strange, told The Courier Journal she was not aware of the plan before Friday.
“I heard about it when it hit the news,” Strange said, adding she believes all board members heard pushback from families across the system over the weekend.
While JCPS spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan had confirmed the proposal existed, she did not provide much detail for why it was being pursued.
“This is one of the major topics Dr. Yearwood has heard from principals and staff — they want an adjustment to the times,” Callahan said in a statement, though she stopped short of specifying which principals wanted an adjustment.
Since the current schedule was implemented in August 2024, several elementary principals at the latest start time have voiced discontent over starting at 9:40 a.m. and dismissing at 4:20 p.m.
“While the intent was to strengthen student learning conditions and improve operational efficiency, it is clear that more analysis and deeper engagement are necessary before moving forward,” Yearwood’s email about withdrawing his proposal stated.
“In the months ahead, my administration will take the time needed to examine a wider range of options that support strong instructional outcomes and protect a healthy work-life balance for our school-based employees,” it continued.
Why can’t JCPS go back to two start times?
JCPS operated with two start times for decades, with all elementary schools starting at 9:05 a.m. and all middle and high schools starting at 7:40 a.m.
In proposing a new schedule a few years ago, leaders said a change was necessary due to the significant dip in the number of bus drivers the district could hire compared to past years. With fewer drivers and two start times, delays were experienced in many schools, though the issue was not as significant and widespread as it would later become.
Research showing older students benefit from a later start time was also presented as another reason for the change, though several middle and high schools have continued to operate under an earlier start time.
In August 2023, a new schedule with nine staggered start times began. After the new bus system proved drastically flawed that year, an audit of what led to the failures found the nine different times did little for efficiency.
The following year, schools started at three different times between 7:30 and 9:40 a.m. Jefferson County Board of Education members approved the schedule with a request that district leaders bring back a better plan ahead of the 2025-26 school year.
Ahead of this school year, though, the board was told changing start times would require the transportation department to re-route the district, again. Additionally, it was noted that with former Superintendent Marty Pollio set to retire, a new superintendent could seek to alter start times, as well. By delaying a change, the board provided two years of consistency for schools.
Leaders have repeatedly argued against any schedule options that don’t have at least three start times that are spaced an hour apart, indicating this is the only way to avoid getting students to and from school late.
Krista Johnson covers education and children. Have story ideas or questions? Contact her at kjohnson3@gannett.com and subscribe to her newsletter.
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