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District 196 Delays Elementary Start-Time Shifts to 2027–28 as Board Overhauls Busing

Leaders say the overhaul is needed to stretch a short driver pool across more routes.

Overview

  • The Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school board, which voted Monday, approved moving Woodland and East Lake elementaries from 9:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. starting in the 2027–2028 school year.
  • Families must opt in for district transportation beginning this fall, and the district will scale back some magnet-school busing.
  • District leaders say a driver shortage caused daily cancellations for about 1,000 students by late February, and the new schedule lets the same drivers cover more routes.
  • Officials estimate the time changes affect roughly 1,500 students, and some may need to switch schools to fit the new system.
  • Parents warned earlier dismissals will strain after-school care, while the district plans to keep special education students closer to neighborhood schools to simplify trips.