JCPS begins slow rollout of new bus software, full implementation set for 2026

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Jefferson County Public School board discussed at Tuesday's meeting how they will move forward with the bus transportation for the upcoming school years.

A new routing software called Traversa Student Transportation is expected to be used for the 2026-27 school year, costing the district nearly $1.2 million. This comes after a 2024 audit blamed the previous system, AlphaRoute, for creating chaos with bus routes.

Traversa, based in Plano, Texas, has been in operation since 1984 and helps more than 1,100 districts across the country.

A soft rollout of the system began on May 16 for summer school, and it'll be used in the 2025-26 school year for special needs students only.

"The next big thing for me in this is that we go very, very slow in using this," Dr. Rob Fulk, JCPS Chief Operations Officer, said. "If we have learned nothing we need to be conservative in our approach when we make big changes. So this next year all we are routing using that software are summer school and EC population."

Fulk emphasized that regular education routes won’t be routed through Traversa until the 2026 school year, giving staff time to test and train on the system.

The board also heard at Tuesday's meeting about the continued effort to get more bus drivers. Currently, the district employees 616 drivers with 15 expected to retire by the end of the summer.

There are 40 drivers expected to start class on July 7, and 31 are on deck for July 19.

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