Here's how much money JCPS could pay parents losing buses next year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville public school parents could be paid as much as $1,700 a year to transport their children to and from magnet and traditional schools next school year, according a plan that will be presented to the Jefferson County school board Tuesday night.

About 14,000 students would lose bus service under JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio's plan to cut transportation for students attending magnet schools, traditional schools and Academies of Louisville high school programs at schools that are not their resides school, the district has said.

JCPS could compensate for the lost transportation by providing "stipends" of $10 per school day to parents of students who qualify for free and reduced lunches and $5 per school day for parents of other students, according to a slide in the district's transportation presentation for Tuesday's meeting.

Under a 170-day school year, the stipends could be worth $850 to $1,700 depending on the family's income.

The proposal would cost the district $6 million to $7.6 million annually, according to the slide.

The presentation also indicates that JCPS students could receive free passes for TARC, the city's public bus system.

Parents and guardians of magnet and traditional school students would face higher costs under the plan that go beyond gas for those who have vehicles.

YMCA-provided before-and-after school care ranges from $60-$90 per week depending on the options and the school site, and some sites are already full.

Some parents have said they may have to cut back their working hours to transport their kids to school.

Pollio's administration says a shortage of bus drivers means the only way to transport students to-and-from school on time next year is to stop transporting about a quarter of the district's 61,000 bus-riding students.

The school board is set to vote at its meeting Tuesday whether to ratify Pollio's plan.

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