JCPS families holding out hope for consistency as they adjust their routines to fit bus times

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Transportation issues at Jefferson County Public Schools to start the 2023-24 school year have many families adjusting their work, dinner and bedtime routines to fit with bus times — holding out hope for consistency.

Minutes after dismissal at Audubon Traditional Elementary School on Tuesday, traffic grinded to a halt as parents and grandparents waited for their turn to pull up.

"I don't remember this last year," said Andrew Ulliman. "I can walk down here and be home before the cars even move. It's a mess."

The line of car-riders at the school was so long, buses couldn't get through the entrance.

"I've seen more walkers this year than I did last year," said Bradley Brown.

Both Ulliman and Brown are fathers with children at a JCPS school. They have the option to walk or drive to get their kids, along with flexibility at work. But just off Shelbyville Road in St. Matthews, Andrea Mitchell, the mother of a JCPS fourth grader, doesn't have that option.

She's using an Apple Air Tag to follow her daughter's route.

"If I have to use my tracker, I'm not trusting," said Mitchell. "I'm glad she's back in school. We just need the buses to run on time."

WDRB News followed Mitchell last Friday as she waited with her daughter for a scheduled 9:19 a.m. bus arrival. The bus only arrived six minutes late that morning, but it has yet to be on time.

The 5:30 p.m. home drop-off time is also inconsistent. Mitchell said she has to leave work early just to be available whenever the bus may arrive.

"She's (her boss) been understanding, but they only take so much," she said.

One parent told WDRB News his grandson's bus never arrived, so he had to take him to school. That cost him a day's pay. Another viewer, dealing with inconsistent buses, said "We can't drop kids off before 8 a.m., but I have to be at work at 8 a.m."

Others, like Berkley Collins, are still in the same position they were last week — waiting to learn when their child will even get a bus route. Unless Collins gets help from family, her first grader is stuck at home.

"Not too happy," said Collins. "Not very happy. She wanted to go."

Meanwhile, Mitchell and her fourth grader can walk home before 6 p.m. Tuesday, hoping to see the start of a more timely trend.

JCPS said all bus riders were dropped off at their stops by 7:13 p.m. Tuesday. All students returned to school for the first time in over a week on Monday. Elementary and middle school students went back Friday, Aug. 18, while high schoolers joined the mix on Monday.

Students had been off since the first official day of school, Aug. 9, after transportation issues. The district had just implemented new school start times and bus routes, and buses were so delayed the last students were dropped off at 9:58 p.m.

JCPS has since launched an app for parents to track their students' bus.

The app is called JCPS Edulog Parent Portal Lite and can be downloaded to your mobile phone. To download, click here. The district sent a letter to families Tuesday with the necessary code to sign up.

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