LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As JCPS completed the third day of school for the whole district, some parents have questioned their student's dismissal times.

Teachers, bus drivers, and parents have said schools have dismissed early, allowing students to get on buses early.

"We can't get that time back," said one JCPS parent.

The JCPS parent, who asked to not be identified, out of fear of retaliation against her kids, said her high school student was dismissed early all three days she's been in the classroom.

"She's been leaving school anywhere between 2:03 and 2:10 p.m. when school was supposed to get out of 2:20," the JCPS parent said, who also said her elementary school student is also getting out early. 

"She left school at 3:59 p.m. School is supposed to go until 4:20," the JCPS parent said.

This parent uses an app, different than the JCPS Edulog Parent Portal Lite bus tracking app, to track her daughters, which tells her exactly when they leave school grounds and pull into their driveway.

Both her daughters are car riders.

Other parents have said bus riders are also getting dismissed early from schools like Central High School, Chancey Elementary and Chenoweth Elementary.

A WDRB photojournalist also reported seeing buses pull out of Male High School at 2:10. The school's dismissal time is 2:20.

JCPS spokesperson, Carolyn Callahan, doubled-down saying no schools have been told to dismiss early.

But added, "This year, as is the case every year during the first week or so of school, some principals have students line up early and go over bus boarding procedures. This most frequently happens in elementary schools."

"No, this has never happened in past even when we were dealing with COVID. We weren't getting out early," the JCPS parent said.

JCPS also confirmed bus drivers were instructed in an email to leave bus compounds and arrive at schools with a 2:20 dismissal time by 1:45.

In that email to bus drivers it said:

"For the first dismissal time (2:20): it is critically important to leave your compound in time to be at your afternoon school by 1:45.  School administrators should be out checking-off their bus list to document your arrival (just like they do on a normal day).  Schools will be practicing dismissal procedures so that students can begin boarding your bus at 2:10.  It’s imperative that buses are ready to roll by 2:20."

While the district says "bus practice" is temporary, it still does not sit well with this parent WDRB spoke with.

"How is that OK? I mean either way they're losing instructional time," JCPS parent said.

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