Dear Lancaster Families,

As many of you know, Lancaster Central School District has not been immune to the nationwide shortage of bus drivers. Our transportation team has done an incredible job behind the scenes the last few years, balancing available drivers with bus runs to make sure our families experience the least amount of disruption possible to their daily routines. Next year, however, there will be changes to the start times of some of our buildings.

As we prepare for next year, we will face an even greater driver shortage than ever before. In a few short years, Lancaster’s number of bus drivers has decreased from 97 in 2019-20 to 65 for the 2023-24 school year. Our team has diligently explored all options to maintain consistent and reliable bussing for the 6,175 students we transport. While exploring these options, it became apparent that there would not be an easy solution.

With that being said, next year, we will implement a three-tiered system for bus drivers (i.e., one driver can accommodate LHS or LMS, then William Street, then an elementary building). Implementing this change means three of our buildings will have amended start and end times for their instructional school day for the 2023-24 school year:

• Como Park Elementary:     9:20 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Court Street Elementary:   9:20 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Lancaster Middle School:   7:35 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. ​​​​​​​

These schools were selected based on the logistics of the proximity of students to the buildings (i.e., quick round-up and drop-off) and these buildings' close proximity to Lancaster Middle School and William Street School (to accommodate the three-tiered system).

While it may seem early to make this announcement, we wanted to give the families impacted by these changes as much time as possible to make arrangements. As we move forward, we will continue to reevaluate the transportation schedule on an annual basis.

We recognize this may impact your family’s schedule. We sincerely apologize; however, the time change is the only solution that allows us to provide consistent transportation under our current circumstances. If you have questions, please use the following 2023-2024 Start Time Changes.

We continue to actively promote the recruitment of more bus drivers. We offer great benefits, excellent wages, and family-friendly hours.  If you are interested, or you know anyone who may be interested in becoming a school bus driver, please contact our transportation department at (716) 686-3290.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Vallely, Ph.D.
Superintendent