LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A day before elementary and middle school students in Jefferson County Public Schools head back to class, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said it's unlikely state lawmakers will be called to Frankfort anytime soon to address the district's issues.
Last week a group of 12 state Republican lawmakers wrote an open letter calling for a special session among several other action items to fix what they deemed an "epic failure" that led to JCPS canceling school for six days due to transportation issues. The Republicans said they plan to re-file a bill to allow students to attend their neighborhood schools, to help cut back on bus routes and also want to possibly split the district into two or three smaller districts.
Wednesday, Aug. 9, was the first day of school for JCPS students. However, some students didn't get home until almost 10 p.m. amid new bus routes and school start times. On Thursday, JCPS parents got a text alert that said school would be canceled on Thursday, Aug. 10, and Friday, Aug. 11, an effort by the district to fix the issues. The district then also canceled school Aug. 14-17, opting for a "staggered" restart with elementary and middle school students returning Friday and high school students returning Monday.
While visiting Louisville on Thursday morning for the Kentucky State Fair's opening day, Beshear said special sessions take weeks and months of work ahead of the session and cost taxpayers $600,000
"The busing situation is unacceptable," Beshear said. "Our students should be in school right now, but part of that blame falls on the very legislators that are calling for the special session. They have underfunded public transportation. They have underfunded it by about $19 million last year for Jefferson County alone. They haven't put in the raises we need. That's why we are so short on bus drivers."
Beshear says the issues do need to be corrected and that the district has taken responsibility for the problems and is addressing it head on.
Related Stories:
- JCPS makes busing changes ahead of Friday, works to roll out bus tracking app
- Surrounding school districts not seeing increase of transfers from JCPS after busing issues
- JCPS will remain closed Wednesday and Thursday, planning for 'staggered' return starting Friday
- Kentucky lawmakers listen to frustrated JCPS parents, plan to take concerns to superintendent
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