LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Public Schools could drastically change its transportation plan next year, and Superintendent Marty Pollio said there are three options on the table.
What started with the district canceling six days of class in August to figure out how to better implement its new busing plan has continued with ongoing driver shortages and multi-hour delays. Middle school and high school instruction previously started at 7:40 a.m., while elementary schools started at 9:05 a.m. The new plan adopted this year by JCPS includes nine different start times ranging from 7:40 a.m. to as late as 10:40 a.m.
The Jefferson County Board of Education will vote on transportation options in a meeting next month, Pollio said. Below are the three options being considered.
- Cut transportations for students who attend magnet and traditional schools
- Ask magnet school students to be dropped off at a central "hub" location, where they'd be picked up by a bus
- Keep the current busing plan
In a letter sent to families in December, the district said the only transportation it can guarantee for the 2024-25 school year is for "special education students and students attending their resides school." JCPS said students have a "resides school" determined by which zone they live in, which can be found through the district's School Finder.
Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio. Jan. 31, 2024 (WDRB Photo)
After presenting the options in February, Pollio hopes the board will vote and make a final decision in March.
"There are pros and cons to each option,"Â he said Wednesday. "... None of them are perfect options. They all come with consequences and unintended consequences, but we want the community and our board to know what those consequences are going into it and then making an informed decision."
Pollio said as soon as a decision is made, the plan will go to the district's internal routing team. They will start working on routes for next school year, hoping to eliminate problems seen this school year.
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- JCPS says transportation not guaranteed for all students next school year
- Options considered to improve JCPS bus issues include cutting routes, paying parents
- JCPS considering ways to decrease bus routes to minimize delays next school year
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