LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As students across Kentucky get ready to go back to school over the next few weeks, districts are incorporating a new state law that could ease transportation struggles for schools who are struggling.
The law allows districts to use smaller passenger vans to transport students on a more routine basis. It's something Jefferson County Public Schools plans to take advantage of as it hopes to avoid a repeat of the first day of school last August, when some students got home as late as 10 p.m.
"I'm very nervous," JCPS parent Paula Fouse said.
Nerves are running high for parents across Louisville.
"Anxious, nervous, scared," JCPS parent Chrissi Collins said.
As the first bell of the year approaches, JCPS believes it can improve from last year's first day transportation mess and a year of ongoing bus struggles.
"Oh, it was a mess," JCPS grandparent Jeffery Warner said.
To address a shortage of school bus drivers, and for rural districts issues with getting a traditional bus down backroads, lawmakers in Frankfort approved a new law. It allows school districts to use passenger vans for daily transportation, expanding the options beyond the traditional yellow bus.
The law says drivers just need a standard driver's license, and to pass a background check. That means no special licensing, like a CDL, is required.
JCPS said it has 30 vans ready to go. The priority will be to use them to transport the population of students experiencing homelessness, which is required by federal law. But, the district said it will also use the vans to help transport smaller groups of students to schools, and in a pinch.
"When we have young elementary school students who don't have a parent at the bus stop, we then have to take that student somewhere else, which, as you hear, JCPS' police department will be helping us with that as well, but we have some white fleet vans," Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said during last week's school board meeting.
Although passenger vans are reported to be on backorder nationwide, JCPS said it is not waiting on any more vehicles right now.
Families, however, are waiting to see how the first day of school goes.
"(I) just hope it goes good for the parents, the kids and the bus drivers," said Warner.
JCPS has also used these types of vans to transport some special education students. It has a separate, smaller fleet of vehicles to continue providing that transportation.
More JCPS Coverage:
- JCPS 'learned a lot' from last year as it works to avoid repeat of first day transportation mess
- JCPS bus hotline addresses parents' questions ahead of school year
- JCPS bus drivers practicing new routes ahead of first day of school
- 'Unapproved' items on school supply lists for some JCPS schools
- Kentuckiana's back to school guide for the 2024-25 school year
- JCPS opens hotline, bus portal ahead of first day of school
- Back to school! Ideas for saving money on supplies for Kentucky and Indiana students
- As JCPS parents hope for routes to be restored, district urges caution with nothing official yet
- JCPS to consider restoring routes for some schools after first day of school
- JCPS prepares for a larger police department as start of new school year looms
- TARC drivers making final preps to get behind the wheel of JCPS buses
- JCPS schools adjusting traffic patterns around campuses, neighborhoods
Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
