LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In his fifth state of the district address, Jefferson County Public Schools' superintendent spoke about the future and challenges the district faces.
Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said Thursday that students have missed a total of three million minutes of instruction because of bus delays, and changing school start times is the best solution.
Pollio made the comments during his address at the Kentucky Science Center.
During Thursday's remarks Pollio touched on a number of issues, including addressing the pushback the district has received after announcing that JCPS may soon have varying start times for different schools, with students starting class anywhere from 7:40 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.
"I completely understand it's difficult as a father, it's really challenging to change times, but once again my job responsibility is to do what's best for the kids in Jefferson County, and when we look at the data show, it's very compelling and says we must change," he said.
The data Pollio referenced indicates 45% of reside JCPS middle and high school students are chronically absent, meaning they missed 18 or more days a school year.
And, because of bus delays, 200,000 students have missed a total of three million instructional minutes. Pollio said by the end of the school year, that number could increase to five million instructional minutes.
Pollio said again that changing start times will solve the bus driver shortage. His idea is to not recruit more drivers, but to cut down routes. He said under the new start time proposal, the district can cut down to 600 bus routes and retain its current 650 bus drivers.
If the proposal is not passed, Pollio said the district would have more than 800 bus routes next school year, because additional routes are needed as the district implements its new student assignment plan.
JCPS also needs more teachers. Pollio said right now JCPS has over 300 teaching vacancies. He said raising pay could be one solution to the problem, starting with salary increases from state lawmakers. The lack of certified teachers in JCPS classrooms, he said, is impacting students and teachers alike.
"It will only get worse unless we act. I hear all the time, 'Well, teacher retention would be better. And we would attract more people if discipline was better.' Maybe so, I don't know," he said. "But I think that is just the way to say we don't want to pay teachers more. Because teachers right now have to meet the needs of our kids more than they ever had."
Pollio said the district is trying to stem the problem with the Louisville Teacher Residency program and other innovative recruitment and retention efforts.
He said lawmakers in Frankfort should open up the budget this year so the state can give additional raises to public school teachers. JCPS approved a 5% raise in November, but Pollio said that's not enough.
"Teachers are having to deal with more than they ever had to before. We need in JCPS, and in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, to be No.1 in teacher pay, not 44th," Pollio said as the room erupted with applause.
Pollio also briefly mentioned school safety as a challenge for the district, and said officials are gearing up to present a plan to the board in April for "weapon detection" systems. He emphasized that the community will also need to step in to prevent weapons from getting into schools. He said the district continues to work with Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, who attended Thursday's address.
Pollio also told the luncheon crowd of about 200 community and education leaders that JCPS’ Future State, which he unveiled in 2020, must become a reality.
That plan includes the following initiatives:
- Building new schools that engage students and faculty
- Investing more resources into highest-need schools
- Implementing the district’s School Choice plan
- Extending learning time
- Increasing use of technology
- Expanding leadership/workforce development
Pollio recognized the two new schools JCPS opened this school year, Wilkerson Elementary and Indian Trail Elementary schools. In August 2023, JCPS will open two more schools, Dr. William Perry Elementary School in west Louisville and Echo Trail Middle School in east Louisville. By 2036, JCPS plans to open 26 new schools.
"Facilities are symbolic for kids about how much the community cares to them," Pollio said. "We still have facility after facility that is an embarrassment to the city of Louisville. We have not invested in this year after year and we are behind so many cities. We have increased our bonding capacity as a result of the revenue increase, and now we are able to cook with gas when it comes to facilities."
Pollio also took a moment to acknowledge the district's student assignment plan, which will take effect beginning next school year with kindergarten, sixth, and ninth grade students. The plan relies heavily on choice zones that encompass neighborhoods in and near west Louisville and the central business district, effectively replacing the patchwork of satellite resides areas used for school assignments there now.
"That is going to make a difference in student engagement and outcomes, when students have a choice of where they go to school," he said.
Pollio also spoke about extended learning time and summer leaning programs. Last summer, JCPS had 10,000 kids participate in a four-week summer learning program, and is expected to have 20,000 this summer.
In closing, Pollio encouraged the crowd to push back against what he called "attacks on JCPS" by state government.
Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
