Hillsborough County Public Schools unveiled its proposed bell schedule for the 2018-19 school year.
Superintendent Jeff Eakins said one of the six proposals in the district's bell schedule survey stood out.
The new proposed bell schedule based on the community's input is as follows:
| School Type | Start Time | End Time |
| Elementary Schools | 7:40 a.m. | 1:55 p.m. |
| Elementary Magnet | 8:45 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| High Schools | 8:30 a.m. | 3:25 p.m. |
| Middle and High Magnet | 8:30 a.m. | 3:25 p.m. |
| Middle Schools | 9:25 a.m. | 4:20 p.m. |
"There was one option that was definitely the consensus first choice," Eakins said.
Nearly 57,000 people responded to a bell schedule survey, according to the district.
More than 1,800 stakeholders also provided the district input.
"We needed to consider all of the impacts, not just for the student{s}, not just for the employees, but the parents in getting them to work on time," Eakins said. "It's been a challenge, I'll be honest with you, in our elementary schools, which is where our parents want to watch their children in the morning the longest."
Eakins said the proposed changes impact "millions" of people.
On Tuesday, Eakins also outlined some of the cost savings in school bus transportation routes under the proposed changes. Under the new bell schedule proposal, some county school bus drivers will be able to drive elementary, middle and high school students.
"{In the past}, we've almost had to double hire some bus drivers just to take care of that lack of planning so to speak," Eakins said. "That's going to no longer be the case."
Our news partners at the Tampa Bay Times reported the district can save up to $2.7 million per year on buses and drivers based on estimates from the Gibson Consulting Group.
The Hillsborough County School Board is set to approve the new schedule at its Oct. 17 meeting.
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