The Salem School Board approved earlier dismissal times for the 2024-25 school year. Superintendent Jill Mires explained that she, Transportation Director Ed Jordan and the school principals all worked together to make a plan for how to get the buses back to the bus compound earlier in the evenings because it starts to get dark early from about the end of October through the winter months.
Dismissal will start at Bradie Shrum Elementary School at 2:45 p.m., with late load buses being in the front of the fleet and loading beginning at 2:50 p.m. At the middle school, walkers and car riders will be held to let bus riders load first. Classes will end around 2:50 p.m. with buses being loaded from 2:57 - 3:00 p.m. The high school will hold student drivers until bus riders are loaded, dismissing at 3:00 p.m. with loading from 3:01 - 3:05 p.m.
Mires said early dismissal will also provide built-in PD time for teachers, as they will still be in the buildings until 3:30 p.m. She said all teachers will participate in the extra time after students have been released. Mires said this also allows the school to be more in line with the Prosser schedule. After school activities will also be able to begin earlier.