NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — We're only a week into the new school year and North Little Rock School District is already making changes.
Traffic jams have been such a concern that it’s put buses behind schedule.
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So, the school board voted to adjust school-day times, but didn’t agree with a proposed plan on the table.
"We have determined the starting time for the elementary does not need to change,” said Bobby Acklin, Superintendent.
The board’s choice to shoot down a proposed school-day time change was a sigh of relief for some parents who attended a special called meeting Tuesday.
Most of the parents were there for elementary students. The proposed changes included starting elementary school days 10 minutes earlier.
"I think changing it 10 more minutes for elementary kids is a bit of a stretch,” said Somer Clark-Day, a parent to three kids in the NLR school district.
The proposal came after the traffic director of the district noticed buses and cars were getting caught up in traffic jams.
"That's been the traffic jam, parents that pick up their kids, so we want to get our buses ahead of them so they can be out of the way and traffic flow smoother,” said Dustin Barnes, communications coordinator.
More afternoon traffic has caused more of a concern, so the board suggested another route to get buses to and from school on time.
"We will recommend changing the ending time,” said Acklin.
The board passed that recommendation, so current school hours will slightly change.
Starting after Labor Day, elementary hours will be 7:50 a.m. to 2:40 p.m., middle school’s will be 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., and high school’s will be 8:25 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.
Essentially elementary schools will let out 10 minutes earlier and high school will start five minutes later and let out five minutes later.
The board believes this plan will give buses enough time for pick-up, making things flow more smoothly.
Barnes said the district will be communicating with parents about the changes on multiple school-related platforms.