Thanks to a shortage of school buses, some Howard County children and their parents will need to adjust their morning routines next school year.

Four schools in Howard County -- two public and two private -- will have their opening and closing times changed for the 2008-2009 school year, under a schedule finalized May 8.

The public school system is responsible for busing public and parochial students and sets the bus schedules for the school year.

The public schools affected by schedule changes are Murray Hill Middle School in North Laurel, which will start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:15 p.m., 10 minutes earlier than this year, and Patuxent Valley Middle School in Jessup, which will start at 7:40 a.m. and end at 2:25 p.m., 10 minutes later than this year.

The parochial schools affected by schedule changes are Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ellicott City, which will start at 9:15 a.m. and end at 3:45 p.m., 35 minutes later than this year, and St. Louis School in Clarksville, which will start at 9:15 a.m. and end at 3:45 p.m., 45 minutes later than this year.

The scheduling changes are necessary due to a shortage of buses, said David Drown, Howard¹s director of pupil transportation.

Most buses make three runs a day, including one at each the high, middle and elementary levels, Drown said. However, the buses that serve St. Louis and Our Lady of Perpetual Help can make only two daily runs given the large areas the two parochial schools serve, Drown said. Moving back the start times at those schools would allow the buses time to complete three routes, he added.

St. Louis Principal Terry Weiss opposed the change in April, saying it would increase the cost of before-school child care for many of the Clarksville school's parents. In addition, she said the change would mean her middle-schoolers would be attending school later in the afternoon and therefore miss after-school activities with their public school counterparts.

Les Douglas, assistant supervisor of Howard's school transportation, said officials looked at other options that might enable St. Louis to open earlier, including having St. Louis students gather at area public schools for a large group pick-up by buses. Douglas said that option was shared with Weiss and was deemed not viable.

School board member Sandra French said she was glad to see the time changes for the two public middle schools, which would bring them more in line with other public middle schools and make it easier for students and teachers to attend after-school events at other buildings.

"I think this is going to help our teachers," she added.

E-mail Sarah Daniels at sdaniels@patuxent.com.

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