Hudson Middle, Young Elementary to swap buildings due to middle school's growth

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — JCPS announced it will build a new school for Hudson Middle in west Louisville, however, the already existing school will be swapping buildings with another existing school for more space.

Dr. J. Blaine Hudson Middle School opened for the 2023-2024 school year for just sixth grade and has existed in the former Wheatley Elementary building. Come August, the school will include sixth and seventh grade, and JCPS said it will need more space.

That is why JCPS has plans for Hudson Middle School and Whitney Young Elementary to swap buildings for the 2024-2025 school year. The two schools are just less than three miles apart, about a 10 minute drive. 

"This school can't hold as many kids as they want in here, so I understand the reason for the swap," said Christopher Cottrell, a parent of an incoming sixth grade student at Hudson. "This is just out of left field."

Cottrell said he did not receive any communication about the change, and felt it should have been talked about as parents were making decisions for the following school year, like transportation.

Cottrell and his family live just a few blocks away from the current building Hudson is in. When asked by JCPS how his student will get to school, he marked her as a walker because the school is close.

However after learning Hudson will be moving to Young Elementary, he is unsure if his daughter will still have access to a bus, since he marked her as a walker. 

“Even if they were still just considering it you know it should’ve been known by the parents at Hudson and Young that this could be a possibility it’s going to happen so we could plan accordingly," said Cottrell.

JCPS said Hudson Middle's building is enough space for Young Elementary's 227 students, and that Young Elementary's building is big enough for Hudson to grow in as it waits on construction for its permanent building at 18th and Broadway. 

“It’s just been kind of a roller coaster ride just trying to get my daughter into middle school and you know it shouldn’t be like that," Cottrell said.

JCPS said under its new student assignment plan, more families in the west end are choosing to keep their students closer to home, hence the growth for Hudson Middle.