JCPS families still finalizing plans for students three weeks before new year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Public Schools is three weeks away from its first day and some families are still working out their plans for this school year.

Betsy Darby is the parent of two JCPS students. After a summer of holding out hope, her family accepted reality.

Since the district cut transportation for thousands of magnet and traditional students, Darby's son had to withdraw from duPont Manual High School and its YPAS program, because he would not have a ride home from school in the afternoon.

"We were holding out hope till the last second, really, that he would be able to stay there since he lost transportation. We ended up having to transfer him just because our schedules wouldn't allow us to get him in the afternoon," Darby said.

In May, Darby filled out JCPS' Intent Survey data, sent to families no longer receiving transportation. She marked her son as "returning," along with more than 1,500 other Manual students. More than 300 students did not respond, but JCPS counted those students as returning.

"Anyone who did not fill it out is noted as remaining at their school because we never unenroll a student from a school without the family asking for that," a JCPS spokesperson said.

Only three students from Manual said they intended to transfer.

The number is now at least four, adding Darby's son.

Darby expects other parents to accept her same reality these next few weeks, and decide their student will not be able to get to and from school without transportation.

"I think a lot of parents are going to be in that same, shooting up a prayer this gets itself worked out and then making the decision on the first day, in the first week, in the first two weeks. I think there are even parents that are going to try to make transportation work and then realize it doesn't, then where are we going to be," said Darby.

JCPS said a few weeks into the new school year, it will look into restoring some transportation for magnet and traditional students with drivers from TARC, who instead of being laid off have been offered the opportunity to drive for JCPS as the city's public transit system grapples with a financial crisis.

If transportation is restored at some magnet or traditional schools, JCPS said it would consider letting students return to its original school, if they transferred out as a result of losing a ride to school. However no specifics have been determined at this time.

Leading Darby to make a final decision on her son's plans for this new school year.

"There hasn't been enough to come out to make me comfortable waiting any longer," she said.

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