LOUISVILLE, Ky. — While Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) let out for the summer on Thursday, when students come back in the fall, there will be some major changes.
JCPS is currently in the midst of rolling out the first major overhaul of its student assignment plan in decades.
Numbers suggest the choice zone is favorable amongst elementary and middle schoolers.
This comes at the same time the district's school board is set to enter the first phase of a plan to install weapon detectors inside high schools for the upcoming school year.
Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said they are about to send out a request for proposals before selecting a vendor.
"We'd like to start by the first day of school, but a lot of that will be, depending upon access to equipment, those type of things. And so we will be very busy during that process that will be right up to the start of school. And it will be an ongoing process throughout the school year next year," he said.
One company that is in the running is "Evolv."
The weapon detection system does not require students to take off clothing like their jackets or even backpacks.
And come August, several students will be learning in brand new school buildings.
Students and staff at Wheatley Elementary School are moving to Perry Elementary.
It's one of two buildings JCPS will open for the upcoming school year.
The second is the Echo Trail Middle School in east Louisville.
JCPS officials said when they first open, there will only be about 200 6th graders in the building.
"We have a plan to build more than 20 new schools in the next ten years and on top of that we will also be doing renovation work at several other schools so we really know that the learning environment is so important and plays such an important role not only for our students but for our staff members," Carolyn Callahan, chief of communications at JCPS, said.
She said school officials are excited to show off the new modern learning spaces that schools like Perry and Echo Trail will offer.
Those two schools are also previews of what some of the 18 or so new school buildings will bring to students.
Parents and students will also need to prepare for new start times.
Smart Start would create eight start times from 7:40 a.m. to 9:40 a.m. for students K through 12 and an additional start time of 10:40 a.m. for early childhood students. Dismissals would range from 2:20 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. for K through 12 and early childhood students would depart school at 5:20 p.m.
Officials said hundreds of students in the district are missing crucial instruction time because of late buses which Pollio called “unfair” to students, families, teachers and bus drivers.
There are some uncertainties, Pollio acknowledged, heading into the summer, including the impact the omnibus, anti-trans law SB150 will have on students and teachers next year.
"A challenge for us without a doubt; I think it's a challenge for every school district right now, is getting clarity around what Senate Bill 150 says getting, you know, some of the procedures and policies that we recommend, policies from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and other entities that support us " he said.
PHOTOS | Group gathers to demand JCPS Board not comply with SB 150
He continued on to say they are concerned as KDE said in their initial guidance, that some of it might go against some federal laws around Title IX and some other issues.
Due to the emergency clause, new rules will have to be in place by the start of the school year barring any legal or judicial developments.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
