LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A fraction of the 14,000 students that lost transportation at Jefferson County Public Schools may see it restored.
Tuesday, JCPS is expected to provide the board of education an update on its current state of transportation.
Expected to be discussed is its improvement in clear time on the first day of school compared to previous years, as well as improvement to long car rider lines, a result of cutting transportation.
Also on the agenda is a discussion of the district's proposal to restore some transportation.
In its agenda notes, JCPS said it will consider restoring routes for free or reduced lunch students that attend Manual, Male and Butler high schools, all students that attend Johnson Traditional Middle School, and direct runs to Coleridge-Taylor and Young Elementary schools.
For Ursula McKinney, a parent of a Johnson Traditional Middle School student, she said it would be a major improvement for her family's quality of life.
McKinney said her day starts by getting one son in special education on his bus, taking her student to Johnson Traditional Middle School, then racing home to get her third son, also in special education, on his bus.
By the time her final kid is on his way to school, she has one hour to attend physical therapy, then goes back to Johnson to be first in car pool line to pick up her oldest, so she can be home in time to get her two sons in special education off the bus.
"I literally spend about an extra $150 to $125 a week to get him to and from school every day," McKinney said.
The single mom said her son is receiving the best education at Johnson Traditional, and didn't want to sacrifice his education for a bus ride to school.
However, if transportation is restored, she said it could give her family more time, instead of always rushing.
JCPS said route restoration is contingent on the number of TARC drivers it has. The public transit drivers are expected to transition over to JCPS, a deal worked out between the school district and city's public transit system, as TARC deals with a financial crisis. The drivers otherwise risked being laid off.
According to Tuesday's board meeting agenda, 19 drivers have received a school bus, or 'S,' certification. An additional 39 are in training and expected to complete testing by Sept. 6, adding up to 58 more drivers.
JCPS originally hoped to add an additional 70 TARC drivers.
The district has not stated how many students restoring routes would impact, or a specific number of routes that would be restored.
A vote on restoring routes is not expected at Tuesday's meeting, as the recommended motion is to, "receive an update regarding the current state of Transportation within Jefferson County Public Schools."
The JCPS Board of Education will meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Van Hoose Education Center.
Previous Coverage:
- Last JCPS student dropped off by 7 p.m. on first day of school
- Louisville parent has mixed report card on 1st day of JCPS' new busing plan
- JCPS puts new bus plan to the test as thousands of students return to school
- Bus schedules, security and start times: What to know for JCPS' first day of school
- JCPS parents, students and staff prepare day before classes begin
- Civil rights lawsuit against JCPS busing plan paused for 60 days, as students head back to school
- JCPS parents will see 'night and day' difference in busing plan when school begins, driver says
- Doctors seeing more COVID-19 cases in Kentuckiana as school year begins
- JCPS ready for school start Thursday, but expected ruling from judge could complicate bus plan
- JCPS testifies school year could be delayed until November if TRO granted in civil rights lawsuit
- JCPS 'learned a lot' from last year as it works to avoid repeat of first day transportation mess
- JCPS to consider restoring routes for some schools after first day of school
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