LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Jefferson County Board of Education will meet Wednesday to approve a transportation plan for Jefferson County Public Schools' 2024-25 school year.

The board scheduled the special meeting for 6 p.m. at the VanHoose Education Center. According to a notice released by the district, the only action item on the meeting agenda is "recommendation for approval" of a JCPS transportation plan.

The meeting will be streamed live on the district's YouTube page, but you can also watch it live in the video player below:

Board member Chris Kolb said eliminating transportation for all magnet and traditional students is still on the table, which impacts more than 14,000 bus riders.

Other options for consideration could include exceptions, such as offering some magnet and traditional students transportation if the school has more than 75% of students on free or reduced lunch.

Students who would still receive transportation include those attending their reside school, and other students required by state and/or federal law to receive transportation, like those who have it included in their individualized education program (IEP). 

Kolb said all options could also mean consolidation of start times, going from nine to three next school year.

The meeting was called by three board members: Kolb, Joe Marshall, and Linda Duncan.

Typically, the chairperson, who is Corrie Shull, calls special board meetings.

Shull said he has concerns about having the special meeting on Wednesday, because scheduled for Thursday was a community meeting to review transportation plans through the Racial Equity Assessment Protocol, a system created by JCPS to assess if plans are equitable in the district.

"Unfortunately, it communicates the board is unconcerned on community voice," Shull told WDRB News on Tuesday.

Kolb said Shull communicated he would call a special meeting, but that did not happen, which is why Kolb, Marshall, and Duncan called the meeting.

The special-called meeting announcement comes about two weeks after the board tabled a vote on a new transportation plan following roughly three hours of discussion and public comment.

The district's recommendation for the board was to approve eliminating transportation for magnet and traditional students. JCPS spokesperson Carolyn Callahan has previously said the plan is the best alternative, even for minority students, among a set of hard choices.

However, hundreds of JCPS students, parents and some staff, mostly from Central High School, showed up to protest that possible decision at the March meeting.

At that same meeting, Marcus Dobbs, executive administrator of transportation at JCPS, told board members his team was already three weeks behind on routing for next school year.

Board members said putting the vote on hold would give them more time to discuss and review the plan and look at information released in a recent audit of the district before voting.

But one day after that meeting, JCPS Chief Operations Officer Rob Fulk sent a letter to the board that outlined seven ways in which he believes the audit was incorrect, including references to poor transportation, work ethic among district leadership and incorrect data.

The board has weighed a few options, including: eliminate transportation for magnet and traditional schools, keep transportation the same, or eliminate transportation for magnet and traditional schools, except those with a high percentage of students on free or reduced lunch.

More JCPS Transportation Coverage:

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