Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 marked the first meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Education for the current school year. The members of the board primarily discussed the impacts of transportation changes that were made official on April 10.
In contrast to previous years, JCPS started the school year with more bus drivers than bus routes. There are 526 routes and 580 drivers. When adjusted for daily absences, there are 528 drivers, leaving a surplus of two.
“For the first time in a long time, we have those two additional buses that we use for overloads,” Donald Robinson said.
Without contending with driverless routes, students are arriving and leaving school closer to the expected time frame. Despite later dismissal times and increased enrollment, the last student arrived home by seven, significantly earlier than previous years. By the sixth day of school, 98.9% of students arrived on time and 86.4% left on time.
“I certainly don’t want to sacrifice on time if that’s what we have to do to get magnet and traditionals transportation,” Board Member Linda Duncan (District 5) said. Since the current system is successful in getting students to school on time, members are putting effort towards returning transportation to magnet and traditional schools.
If the board passes the plan, transportation would return for free and reduced lunch students at Butler Traditional High School, Manual and Louisville Male High School, as well as all students at Johnson Traditional Middle School, Coleridge-Taylor Elementary School and Young Elementary School.
The current proposal requires 60 TARC drivers to receive an S-class certification by Sept. 6, and 58 drivers are currently on track to do so. On Sept. 3, the board will vote on the proposal. If voted in, parents of impacted students would complete a survey to select either a continued stipend or transportation. Beginning Aug. 26, JCPS is offering stipends to compensate families who will not receive transportation for at least another month.
The stipends are $10 for families qualifying for free or reduced lunch and $5 for all other families per day. Only one guardian may receive the stipend and each family may redeem one stipend per school.
The survey would also allow students who were forced to transfer to resides schools to return to their magnet or traditional school. Based on survey results, routes will be created and assigned. Impacted students would begin to receive transportation after fall break.
In addition to transportation, the board recognized the academic teams from Greathouse and Brandeis elementary schools, excellent teachers from Waggener High School and the new principals in the district.
