LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Board of Education members hosted a listening session about the future of the state's largest school district in St. Matthews Saturday morning. The listening session was not about the first day of school at JCPS.
There was some confusion online between one board member and the public about whether parents could share their bus transportation concerns.
However, JCPS had the listening session scheduled before Wednesday's bus catastrophe.
JCPS board member Joe Marshall started the meeting and made it clear they would be talking about ways to improve the district --- what people's vision of education would be for JCPS and what values people want students to learn.
Some people suggested teaching soft skills, financial literacy and more cursive.
But then, one JCPS parent showed up frustrated at the meeting thinking it was about the first day of school. That's when Danny Tafel said he believed the district should stop busing students from one end of town to the other.
"We have a county from side-to-side. It's what a 45-minute driver, at least, if not more," Tafel said. "We have one of the largest school districts in the nation. I think they are benevolent. I think they want to do the right thing, but sometimes it is too big. I think we are blending students, busing them form one end to another. I don't think we are doing our student any favor by blending them all together.
"I think the productive part of it really occurred in the one-on-one discussions. So, [Board Member] Joe Marshall and I had a really good discussion and he asked me to bring it up. Everything is on the table and that includes the governance and structure of the Jefferson County school system."
Tafel believes equitable funding can be achieved across the county by using the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky or SEEK funding program.
Board member Sarah McIntosh and about 30 other people also attended the public listening session. It lasted for about an hour and a half.
Parents can share their thoughts on specific transportation concerns Tuesday at 6 p.m. at JCPS Van Hoose Center at 3332 Newburg Road.
Related Stories:
- Families still waiting to learn when JCPS classes will resume
- JCPS superintendent says splitting up the school district would be 'disruptive'
- JCPS hopes to return students to school by the 'middle of next week' as it works to fix 'transportation disaster'
- JCPS board member says NTI 'won't be' considered as district works through bus issues
- Kentucky state Republicans call for special session after 'epic failure' on JCPS' 1st day of school
- JCPS schools should be closed next week to address Wednesday's 'disaster,' bus union leadership says
- JCPS bus routes generated by software with flawed track record in another district
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