LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some parents whose children attend Jefferson County Public Schools have asked a judge to grant a temporary restraining order to stop the district's new transportation plan that will cut transportation for thousands of students.
The request was filed Wednesday.
"Considering that JCPS is sending out notices to parents and have not finalized the schools that the children are attending or the busing information, we are forced to file this motion for the TRO in order to insure that JCPS provides proper transportation for this year and for every year for disadvantaged children," Louisville attorney Teddy Gordon said in a news release.
The original federal civil rights lawsuit was filed on June 20 by two JCPS parents, who said their kids, who are set to attend Male High School, Central High School and Whitney Young Elementary School in August, may now have to enroll in less desirable neighborhood schools due to a lack of bus service.
The lawsuit claims the district's bus plan, passed in April, has a disproportionately negative effect on students of color and violates their civil rights.
The plan cuts bus routes for magnet and traditional students, with the exception of Central and Western high schools — which both have a 75% threshold of students on free or reduced lunch.
The lawsuit alleges the district of discriminating against their children and other Black students by denying them transportation for the upcoming school year.
The decision to cut transportation to magnet and traditional schools, the parents allege, will "intentionally cause high schools in lower socio-economic neighborhoods to become overcrowded, continued havens for violence, and cause abysmal educational outcomes to become even worse."
Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio has conceded that point.
JCPS maintained that the only option to keep buses on schedule and students on time is to cut transportation for all magnet and traditional schools, which would impact more than 14,000 students. For the last several years, JCPS has struggled to recruit enough bus drivers, resulting in buses running delayed, up to several hours. Last school year, the state's largest school district dealt with the same problems.
Wednesday's court filing asks a judge to put a hold on JCPS moving forward with the plan.
It's not clear right now when a decision could come down.
Previous Coverage:
- JCPS announces deadline to submit address changes, newly launched bus finder tool
- JCPS, halfway through summer, lays out plan to incorporate TARC bus drivers
- West Louisville church hosts community forum to find solutions for JCPS transportation issue
- Denying bus service to 14,000 JCPS students violates their civil rights, lawsuit claims
- JCPS says transportation not guaranteed for all students next school year
- Options considered to improve JCPS bus issues include cutting routes, paying parents
- JCPS considering ways to decrease bus routes to minimize delays next school year
- Here are the JCPS schools that will lose transportation under district's new plan
- Some JCPS parents angry over decision to cut transportation for magnet, traditional schools
- JCPS board votes to cut transportation to magnet, traditional schools with exceptions following heated debate
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