Revamp of start times in Fairfax County, Va., may be too expensive

After nearly five years of exhaustive research and parent activism, an effort in the Fairfax County (Va.) School District to rearrange the daily routes of more than 1,100 school buses and shift high school start times later is in jeopardy because of a projected $220 million budget deficit. Many school board members and thousands of parents agree that delaying the 7:20 a.m. start for most high school students would help their academic performance and well-being. But board members are reluctant to sign on to an initiative that could cost several million dollars.