We are excited to share that beginning in the 2026-27 school year, APS will implement a districtwide bell schedule alignment as part of our commitment to student success and the priorities of our Destination APS Strategic Plan.
These changes will increase learning time for our elementary students, better align school schedules across the district and support improved access to college and career learning for our high school students. This decision follows a yearlong process that included feedback from students, families, staff and school leaders, along with a review of best practices and operational needs.
The new schedules will allow APS to:
- Increase instructional time for elementary students by 20 minutes every school day. This adds up to eight additional school days for instruction throughout the year, which will be critical to our students’ growth and success
- Align all high school schedules, creating greater access to Career and Technical Education (CTE) and other shared learning opportunities
- Adjust secondary start times to better reflect research on healthy sleep for adolescents, which supports attendance, engagement and academic success
- Improve transportation efficiency and reliability for students and families
As part of our engagement, we also considered feedback that was shared in our annual engagement surveys in October. In those surveys:
- 49% of elementary school families supported or strongly supported extending the elementary school day by up to 30 minutes (25% were neutral and 26% were opposed or strongly opposed)
- 37% of families, 34% of students and 41% of staff supported or strongly supported a later start for secondary students and an earlier start for elementary students (32% of families were neutral, 42% of students were neutral and 30% of staff were neutral)
While many stakeholders expressed support for additional instructional time at the elementary level and improved alignment, we acknowledge that schedule changes affect daily routines and may feel like a significant change for staff, students and families. Please know that we are making these changes after much engagement, consideration and reflection.
What’s Changing?
All grade spans will have the same number of instructional minutes per school day:
- Elementary: We will be increasing the instructional day to 6 hours and 50 minutes.
- P-8 and Middle Schools: 7 hours (This length is not changing from this school year.)
- High Schools: 7 hours and 30 minutes (This length is not changing from this school year.)
Two-Tier Start Times
- First Tier (7:40 a.m.): All elementary schools and some P–8 schools
- Second Tier (8:20 a.m.): All middle schools, high schools and some P–8 schools
To see your school’s bell schedule for the 2026-27 school year, visit aurorak12.org/bell.
Before & After School Care
This new bell schedule may change some before- and after-school childcare programming. Please know that schools will be working with our partner childcare providers to plan for the next school year and provide you with additional information in the coming months.
Again, we know that change, no matter how big or small, can be challenging. Over the coming months, we will continue working with schools, transportation and community partners, including before- and after-school care providers, to support a smooth transition for families.
While this may mean a change to your daily routine starting next year, we ask for your patience and understanding as we navigate this change together. Thank you for your partnership and for your continued support of Aurora Public Schools. Together, we are excited to provide more instructional time, college and career learning opportunities and stronger outcomes for our students.