LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With more than 10,000 Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) students losing access to transportation for magnet and traditional schools, one district bus driver—Charles "Chuck" Deel sees a business opportunity.
Now, he's considering leaving the school system behind, buying his own bus and charging parents directly for the service.
"That's probably the biggest issue for me is when you got all these parents worried about it," Deel, who has nine years of experience driving buses, said.
For $200 dollars a month—or $60 dollars a week—Deel would make those worries disappear.
"After the start time Tuesday night, I probably already have close to one slot booked," Deel shared. The 8:40 a.m. slot is what he referred to, one of three new start times. Each hour, mornings and afternoons, Deel plans on picking up and dropping off a bus-full of 50 to 55 students, just as he does now.
Insuring the bus for liability on all those children is a challenge for Deel, but he is in talks with an insurance company. All JCPS buses are fully-insured, paying out if a student is injured in a crash.
If the business idea takes off, Deel expects to buy five more buses and hire more drivers.
WHAS11 asked Deel what assurance he could offer, as a business, that the people he hires will be safe around kids and behind the wheel of a bus.
"They've got more experience than I do," he answered. "Most of them are retired."
Deel won't conduct his own background checks, instead relying on previous driver clearances from JCPS, since he would be hiring from the school district's pool of retirees.
When JCPS hires a driver, they conduct criminal and driver background checks in addition to drug testing potential drivers. The district also trains them for CPR and conducts an 8-hour yearly driving test each summer. District drivers also need proper state certifications and must pass a check for child abuse or neglect.
Parents interested in Deel's service can contact him by sending him an email here.
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