LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The bus union is backing the proposal outlined by Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) to change start times.
John Stovall, president of Teamsters Local 783, the union that represents bus drivers, said the new proposal is a step in the right direction. JCPS has 650 bus drivers, but some students still wait hours to catch the bus.
JCPS has proposed nine different school start times across the district, a proposal shared with teachers on Tuesday. Right now, middle and high school instruction starts at 7:40 a.m., while elementary schools start at 9:05 a.m.
If the new plan is approved, Pollio said double and triple routes for bus drivers could be eliminated.
"I have had phone call after phone call from bus drivers, they say, 'they want me to do an extra run tonight, I can't do it,'" Stovall said. "Sometimes you have to think outside the box and by doing this my understanding is you won't have drivers working 11 to 12 hour days."
Pollio said the new plan would reduce the number of bus routes and decrease students' average time on the bus.
On Wednesday morning, four buses headed to Ballard High School were delayed two hours.
While the bus union agrees with the plan, parents are split on the proposal.
"I kind of want to give them the benefit of the doubt and see how it goes, but we'll see, I think anytime there is a change people go nuts and there will be a lot of comments and complaints, but I don't know, they are trying to juggle a lot of things," said Steve Loomis, a parent.
"I don't see anything good about any of this, they are trying to change it, it's not going to work for a lot of parents," said parent Scott Young.
Around 30,000 students would have their school start time pushed back with this new plan.
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