JCPS board delay on transportation decision sparks concern for district's bus drivers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Bus drivers for Jefferson County Public Schools are losing patience, as the district's board delays making a decision on transportation plans for next school year.

"The longer it goes, the worse it'll get," said John Stovall, the president of Teamsters Local 783, which represents drivers. He warns that the longer the vote is delayed, the more likely it is more bus drivers will walk away from the job.

Earlier this week, JCPS was sent back to the transportation drawing board. Its Board of Education tabled a vote to cut bus routes for magnet and traditional students, which could impact more than 14,000 students. The decision was delayed after an outside consultant who investigated the districts' transportation debacle suggested making less drastic changes.

Stovall said the clock is ticking for drivers. "They want to know what they're going to be dealing with and what the hours will be, because regardless what a lot of people think, a lot of our drivers are single parents, as well."

Bus drivers are in the final weeks of the school year, but they want to know what they will face when school begins in August. Stovall said drivers expect improvement next year.

"The drivers are not happy about this because they are not going to go back to what they went through this year," he said.

Stovall said drivers hope any plan will get back to mirroring morning and afternoon routes - and cut back on long days.

"A lot are close to retiring or retirement age, and they're not going to go back to 11-12 hour days," he said.

Stovall said everyone understands that losing more bus drivers is not what JCPS needs. "Unless God rains down 200 drivers. it's not going to work they want it to."

The next JCPS board of education meeting is scheduled for April 16. A transportation update is expected, but there is no word yet whether there will be a plan for the board to vote on.

The district has worked to try and address severe bus delays that have plagued schools all year. Despite that effort, JCPS has been unable to recruit enough drivers.

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