LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools is providing more information about the district's transportation plan as it navigates the new “Start Smart” times.
The district is consolidating bus routes in light of the ongoing driver shortage, and to coincide with the new start times.
The JCPS bus finder application went live Monday, loaded with student's bus stop and pickup time assignments for the year.
Already, parents have voiced frustrations. Some said their children will have longer bus rides home. Others said they have multiple children headed to different bus stops, or children who have to walk far to get to their bus.
“On the mornings it's super cold or rainy my high schooler is going to be the one who is standing out there by herself and I don’t like that, it’s pitch dark," parent LeaAnn Baldon, who has two kids at different stops, said.
District leaders said the average walking distance to bus stops is a quarter of a mile, though some students could walk further.
Other parents said they will struggle with making the new times and stop locations work with their own employment.
“Now it’s the other direction where she’s not familiar and the houses aren’t familiar and the people even aren’t familiar," Angela Wilburn, who has to catch a bus to her own job, said of her daughter's new stop. "I'm trying not to quit my job in order to keep her safe."
At a news conference Tuesday, Pollio said the ultimate goal of the new plan is to ensure students are not missing important instructional time or waiting for a ride home. Many experienced that situation during the previous school year.
He noted the district will be starting the school year with more drivers than bus routes.
“We are the second largest transportation system in the state next to UPS,” Pollio said. “In JCPS we transport over 60,000 students on an average school day – drive about 78,000 miles each school day.”
He also noted the district didn't want drivers making double and triple runs, leading students to miss instructional hours.
With the number of students traveling throughout the day, Pollio said safety was a top concern.
“We had to make these changes and that’s why the [JCPS] Board approved the Start Smart plan back in March,” he said,
That plan has been a controversial topic among parents with some saying it will disrupt schedules and make it harder to get their kids to school on time.
“I think it’s a tough situation for everyone, but I just don’t know that this was the right solution," Baldon said.
Pollio said the district would still like to hire about 100 more bus drivers and said there is no shortage of buses.
“We know this is going to be a huge lift, there’s no doubt,” Pollio said. “We have the majority of our schools changing their start times and we know it’s not easy, we know it’s caused some inconveniences for families, but getting kids to school on time – not missing instruction is our number one goal as we do this and that’s what we are accomplishing."
Parents will start receiving transportation letters this week that will explain where their child will board and disembark the bus. They want parents to check out their online bus finder to learn more about the route.
When you check it, it also notes that “the bus finder does not guarantee a safe walking path to or from the bus stop.”
On Aug. 7, the transportation’s help line, (502) 485-RIDE, will go live with staff members answering questions.
If you are still missing a bus assignment for your child, district leaders said you should fill out the bus stop request form.
Pollio did note that there could be some hiccups the first few days of school.
Classes for students in Jefferson County begin on Aug. 9.
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