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CMS families challenge proposed later school starts amid bus-driver shortages
Families at South Academy of International Languages say Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has not addressed their concerns about a proposed bell-time shift for 2027-28. The district says transportation pressures, including driver shortages and a fleet of more than 750 buses, are behind the plan.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dozens of families gathered at South Academy of International Languages on Tuesday, Oct. 20, to discuss a proposed Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bell schedule change that would push start and dismissal times back by at least an hour at several schools beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
The meeting was the district’s second session with families affected by the proposal. Some parents said they left without clear answers about how the changes would work or what alternatives the district had considered.
Kyle Sam, whose first-grade child attends SAIL’s German immersion program, said his family attended the previous week’s meeting and heard much of the same presentation again. He said questions raised at that session were still unresolved, and he left Tuesday’s meeting frustrated.
Sam said the later schedule could leave families with little time together after work and school, compressing evenings into a bus ride home, dinner and bedtime.
CMS has cited transportation challenges as a reason for considering the change. A district representative said the system is dealing with bus-driver shortages while operating more than 750 buses across the county.
District 6 school board member Anna London said she understands the operational pressures but described SAIL families as overwhelmingly opposed to the proposed change. She said the district is examining ways to make bus routes and transportation operations more efficient.
Parents at the meeting said they wanted fuller responses to their questions. The proposal remains under discussion; no final schedule decision was reported.