LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Public Schools parents with questions about their child's bus stop and times can now call a hotline.

Phone lines opened at 7 a.m. Monday and closes at 6 p.m. It runs through Wednesday, Aug. 16.

To deal with the bus driver shortage, JCPS has new start times for schools. The district had a shortage of drivers which caused nearly 20,000 students to show up late, sometimes up to two hours, last school year.

To address the late arrivals, JCPS overhauled its start times. Going from just two times to mark the beginning of the day to 9 a.m., staggering between the hours of 7:40 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.

The total number of bus routes were cut from 730 to 600 this year.

"I'm still figuring it out," said JCPS parent Pamela Irving. "I'm still worried about it."

The worry and concern from parents stems from the changes in bus pick up and drop off locations. 

"I had two that are in high school that are going to be going at eight something good not in five and then I have an elementary that's going on at seven getting out at 2:00," Irving said. "So, it is going to be extremely difficult."

The routes can be found on the district's Bus Finder, but some parents have experienced difficulty when trying to locate the information.

That's why the district is answering the confusion on its hotline for the next week.

The hotline phone number is 502-485-RIDE (7433). Below are the dates and times when it'll be open:

  • Monday, 8/7: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Tuesday, 8/8: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Wednesday, 8/9: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Thursday, 8/10: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Friday, 8/11: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Monday, 8/14: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday, 8/15: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, 8/16: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

"This is the number set up where parents can call in if they can't find their bus information or if their stop isn't showing up," said Marcus Dobbs, executive administrator of transportation.

While the district is confident in the new plan, some of its bus drivers are not.

Teamsters Local 783, the union representing drivers, has heard from its members about the frustrations surrounding the new routes. President John Stovall said some drivers have quit or retired because of the change.

"Nobody likes change," he said. "Everyone can understand that, but this is a major change."

The change was needed because of the issues with transportation in the district. However, many believe it could take some time to navigate the new normal.

"It's just the system, the district, trying to find a better solution because they are short drivers, but just be prepared," Stovall said. "There's going to be hiccups and bumps and late times and all that. Hopefully over the first couple of weeks they'll get that ironed out, and make the changes where they need to make the changes."

"We've always 'tweaked' the routes throughout the year, so this is not something that we aren't accustomed to," Dobbs added.

If parents are looking to change the drop off or pick up locations, there is a request form that needs to be completed through the district.

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