Safety and schedules | Many Louisville parents concerned over new JCPS start times, bus stops | Education

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Summer is almost over for Jefferson County Public School students. School starts Aug. 9.

There are changes for this school year including new, staggered start times and more than 100 fewer bus routes.

Superintendent Marty Pollio said at a news conference on Monday that these changes are needed for the district.

"These are long overdue changes that should've happened many years ago but we are taking them on now because we know we needed bold change in JCPS," Pollio said.

The new start times create a staggered system ranging from 7:40 a.m. to 9:40 a.m. for K-12 students. Dismissals are also staggered from 2:20 p.m. to 4:20 p.m.

Two of the early childhood centers run from 10:40 a.m. until 5:20 p.m.

Previously, the district operated with two start times for K-12 students.

Many parents have reached out to WDRB News with concerns about the start times and bus route changes through e-mail, social media, and phone calls.

One person who identified herself as a teacher said she is in favor of the new start times, saying one bus was habitually more than one hour late most days last school year.

"I truly feel that if parents call and work with the school system, they will make sure that the bus stops and commutes are the best they can be," she wrote in the e-mail.

But several parents said the changes are creating new challenges for them.

Emily McGrath, a JCPS parent, said while she loves her 4th grade daughter's elementary school, she doesn't love where her bus stop will be this year in the Clifton area.

"I was not expecting they would put my child in front of a gas station and a Kroger for a bus stop," she said.

Across town near Shively, Tiandra Robinson is a parent of two JCPS students. One is a rising 4th grader, the other will be a sophomore.

Robinson said her 4th grade daughter's school start time in now 9:40 a.m. and both parents in the home need to be at work before then, forcing some adjustments to their morning routines.

"So I now I have to drive her to her school before I go to work, so she will no longer be a bus rider in the morning, but she will be in the afternoon," said Robinson.

Robinson did not want to identify exactly which school her daughter attends, but said it has a Child Enrichment Program that allows for early drop-off. While she's thankful for the option, she's not thrilled with the additional price-tag.

"Basically, she'll be sitting at her school's cafeteria for about an hour, hour and a half, and then she just gets to walk to her classroom. So I'm having to pay for this 'before school care' which is going to average about $2,700 for the school year," she said.

McGrath said she filled out a transportation form when the bus stop plan was released, claiming her daughter's location in Clifton was hazardous. McGrath said at first, the bus stop required crossing Brownsboro Road in an area without a crosswalk or stop sign. She said her bus stop has since been modified to the other side of the street.

"Knowing that it's going to be dark in the mornings, especially at that start time (7:40 a.m.), I don't think we'll be taking the bus in the morning unless our stop gets changed to a safer location," McGrath said. "It's not a safe location for a child to catch a bus."

She said other JCPS students who live nearby have a different bus stop. She believes that is because their school start time is no longer the same as her daughter's.

"My biggest concern is that JCPS's new policies that are intended to improve classroom time and classroom equity are actually doing the opposite," said McGrath. "I know there are families having to make decisions between having a job -- or taking a different job -- and being able to get both of their elementary-schoolers to the bus stop. That is not a trade-off decision that families should make."

McGrath went on to add, "In all fairness, this is a gigantic school district. And we have a very expansive geography. We have a lot of families, but I don't think we looked into enough alternative solutions before we adopted this one."

With less than two weeks before kids get back into the classroom, parents said they'll see how it all works coming soon.

"We knew these changes were coming, so we'll just try to adjust," said Robinson.

In a statement Monday afternoon, JCPS wrote: "We have said, and are aware, that some students might have bus stops that are further away from their home than in previous years. In order to ensure equitable class time for every JCPS student, we had to add start times and reduce our bus routes resulting in some students having to walk further to their bus stops. Our transportation team is reviewing every Bus Stop Request From that comes in."

During the press conference Monday, Pollio asked for patience.

"First day of school is always difficult and challenging, no doubt," Pollio said. "We're going to have about 67,000 kids that we're going to be transporting, many of our youngest kids getting on a bus and off a bus for the first time. So, it does take time, especially with all the changes that we have. So, we are asking the community for patience, understanding that there will be some challenges but we are up to those challenges."

Earlier this month, JCPS released its information on bus routes for this upcoming school year. For detailed information about the transportation plan, click here.

Families are encouraged to look up their school start time and bus stop to be prepared. Here is a link to the JCPS Back to School page, which includes information on immunizations, meal plans, supply lists and student handbook.

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