LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky Republican leaders said they don't plan to draft legislation this upcoming session aimed at splitting up Jefferson County Public Schools, rather planning to study the district before deciding how to move forward on a bill. 

The idea, Republicans in Frankfort confirmed Thursday, will be to build a commission to look into the district. The focus on Louisville's public school system stems from its difficult start to the school year, the failed rollout of a new busing system that led to six days of school being canceled.

A group of Kentucky House Republicans sent an open letter to JCPS students, parents and teachers after the first day of school calling the massive bus issues an "epic failure," saying the district "failed in its most fundamental obligation, which is to keep our kids safe."

The letter, signed by 12 representatives and senators from across the state, called for five immediate actions items in response to what JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio called a "transportation disaster that ... was truly unacceptable."

  • Rep. Kevin Bratcher, R-Jefferson, will re-file his bill where all students by law will have the right to attend their neighborhood schools.
    • "We will all cosponsor that bill," the letter said. "This will go a long way to reducing the need for so many buses and transporting students across the county.
  • Call for a commission to evaluate splitting up JCPS.
    • "With nearly 100,000 students and 165 schools, the district is too big to properly manage," the letter said.
  • Call for extensive changes to our school board
    • "(The board has) shown that it is not up to the task of managing our $2 billion school district," the letter said.
  • Support school choice
    • "Parents (will be empowered) to have more control over the education of their children," the letter said. "To that end, we support putting a school choice amendment on the 2024 ballot for the voters to decide. We believe in funding students, not systems.
  • Call on the governor to call the General Assembly
    • "... for the purpose of immediately enacting the above policies and to take other steps to protect students and support parents in Jefferson County," the letter said.

But rather than push forward with legislation to split the district when lawmakers convene in Frankfort in January, Republicans now plan to have this special commission make a recommendation about if splitting JCPS into smaller parts would be beneficial.

Kentucky Democrats pushed back on the plan Thursday, saying a split is unnecessary and a way to "micromanage" JCPS but added it would participate in the proposed commission.

"The courts have made it clear that the General Assembly cannot micromanage Jefferson County's schools in ways that don't apply to the other 119 counties," state Reps. Derrick Graham, Cherlynn Stevenson and Rachel Roberts said in a joint statement. "We don't need a study to reach that conclusion, but if a proposed commission looks for ways that will actually help our schools and students, we will be glad to take part."

In August, Pollio said a split would be devastating for the kids. He said he wants a little more time to make changes this school year.

It’s hard to understand how splitting JCPS would solve any of the difficult, complicated issues the District, its employees, students, and family members are facing," JCPS spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan said in a written statement Thursday. "Splitting JCPS into multiple districts would be the most disruptive thing to do to this community, and students in high poverty areas would suffer more than anyone else. We have heard comments from some lawmakers about the desire for a commission, but have not been officially contacted about it. If there is a commission, it is essential that JCPS officials are involved, as are a diverse set of community stakeholders, to ensure this is a true study commission and not a rubber stamp for preconceived policy decisions."

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