All schools in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) will have the same starting times next school year. The Jefferson County Board of Education approved the bell times for the 2025-26 school year at its meeting November 12. JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio recommended keeping the three main start times at 7:30, 8:40 and 9:40 a.m. as a way to retain continuity for families. JCPS had changed start times and redrawn bus routes twice in the past two years due to a shortage of bus drivers.
Last school year, students missed millions of minutes of instructional time due to buses arriving late. This year’s start times and a reduction in bus routes has resulted in students largely getting to school and dismissing on time. Pollio feared making major changes in 2025 would cause more confusion, more difficult decisions for the new superintendent who is expected to be hired next year and, potentially, a return to thousands of students missing instructional time due to transportation issues. Here are the current start times which will remain in effect next school year.