Jefferson County School Board expected to vote Tuesday on new JCPS start times

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As Louisville public school parents try to plan for the next school year, they could get answers Tuesday night.

The Jefferson County School Board is scheduled to vote at its weekly meeting to approve the start times for the 2024-25 school year. They are two options they are considering, which involve the three different start times Jefferson County Public Schools is considering: 7:30 a.m., 8:40 a.m. and 9:40 a.m.

That means, school would be released at 2:20 p.m., 3:20 p.m. and 4:20 p.m.

The first option the board will consider changes the start times for about 40 schools. JCPS said the the benefits to this plan is no middle schools start at 9:40 a.m., and the plan addresses traffic patterns at several schools.

JCPS school start times 2023-2024.jpg — Jefferson County Public Schools. Start times for the 2023-24 school year.

The second one changes the start times for about 80 schools, but has three middle schools starting at 9:40 a.m., so they wouldn't get out until 4:20 p.m.

"I like that we are going to regionalize in the second option which would make routes shorter," board member Linda Duncan said last week. "We can mirror more routes, which means the same driver will be taking them home. I love the features of that plan and I think the drivers will probably love the features."

This all comes after JCPS cut bus routes for thousands of traditional and magnet school students with the exception of Central High School and Western High School.

For the last several years, JCPS has struggled to recruit enough bus drivers, resulting in buses running delayed, up to several hours. In attempt to resolve the problem, JCPS changed from just two to nine start times, and partnered with out of state routing company AlphaRoute to maximize transportation with its limited drivers.

However, the first day of school with new start times and bus routes, proved to be disastrous for the district. The first day was plagued with bus delays in the morning and the afternoon. Some students' buses never showed up that morning, and others didn't get dropped off from school that evening until almost 10 p.m.

In February, JCPS said it has 558 drivers, 563 routes, and averages 52 drivers absent daily. That leaves 57 routes uncovered daily.

The district projects by July 2024, it will have 526 drivers. Assuming it averages the same number of drivers out daily, JCPS wants to have 474 or less routes a day, to ensure routes are covered by drivers.

Earlier this month, the board last week voted, 4 -3, to cut transportation for most magnet and traditional schools, but students who attend Central and Western high schools will be able to ride the bus. Those two schools were exempt because more than 75% of students qualify for free or reduced lunches.

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