BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board voted Thursday night to give Superintendent LaMont Cole permission to shift start times for schools across the district over the next three years.

Cole has expressed an interest in realigning start times to address transportation problems, particularly in the morning.

"Rather than approving specific times for each phase, this request seeks authorization for the Superintendent and administration to modify school start and dismissal schedules when operationally necessary while maintaining a consistent 435-minute school day across the district," the board agenda said.

The next schools set for adjustment are six schools in the eastern part of the parish. Under a plan up for consideration next month, Park Forest, Greenbrier, Villa Del Ray and La Belle Aire elementary schools could start at 7:45 a.m., while Park Forest Middle and Belaire High School could start at 8:30 a.m.

Grade alignments at the four elementary schools could also change.