Union leadership reacts to plan to cut JCPS bus routes for 2024-25 school year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- John Stovall, president of Teamsters Local 783, which represents bus drivers in Jefferson County Public Schools, said the union is in favor of cutting the number of routes offered for the 2024-25 school year.

In a letter sent to families Friday, 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.

"There's a national bus driver shortage across the country," Stovall said. "(They) just can't compete. So they're going to eliminate some of the routes."

The Jefferson County Board of Education will vote on transportation options early next year, the district said, but until a final decision "we cannot confirm the availability of transportation services for students attending magnet schools or schools outside of their zone."

JCPS is reminding parents that "traditional schools are magnets." If a student is accepted into a magnet school or goes to a school on transfer that is not in their zone that they can no longer attend because of "a change in JCPS-provided transportation," the student will be able to attend a school in their zone.

"A lot of people want busing to be done away with (and) go back to your home school," Stovall said Monday. "They're going to get that, but, also, there's a downside to that. If you live in a certain zone that doesn't offer the math, science, trade schools, graphic arts, you're going to have a hard time getting your kid there."

JCPS said it cannot say if it will have buses available for magnet school students or students who attend schools outside of their zone.

"We'll know more once we actually know how many routes they're cutting," Stovall said. "And it may be absorbed through 100 they're already short, so it's hard to say."

Families are currently deciding on schools for next school year. The district's application period is open through Dec. 22. For more information, click here.

Friday's announcement came just days after the school board began looking ahead to options for next school year. This year, JCPS went from two to nine start times across the district, and consolidated bus routes to deal with driver shortages. Almost halfway through the school year, JCPS continues to struggle with late buses and a shortage of bus drivers. In early November, the district canceled more than 100 routes due to drivers calling out.

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 Jefferson County Public Schools includes nine different start times ranging from 7:40 a.m. to as late as 10:40 a.m.

The district is looking at a slew of possible changes ahead of next school year, options ranging from cutting 15 to more than 100 buses by:

Eliminating all bus transportation for magnet and traditional schools, only transporting free and reduced lunch students to those schools
Creating a hub for magnet and traditional school students
Creating a lottery for available seats leftover on buses
Eliminate "grandfathering" for prior student assignment plan
Offering a parent stipend for high school student transportation

At Tuesday's board meeting, interim Chief Operations Officer Rob Fulk and Superintendent Marty Pollio said going back to two start times is not the solution.

It's not clear if the new plan would mean cutting bus driver positions as well.

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