LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One year ago, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Marty Pollio called the start of the school year a "transportation disaster."
This year, the superintendent was singing a different tune while giving transportation updates at the first school board meeting of the school year.
"As difficult as last year's start was, this year has been an amazing start to the school year," Pollio said.
The board announced that transportation could be reinstated to some magnet and traditional schools who had transportation cut this year.
This would mean buses would return for students who qualify for free and reduced lunches at Butler, duPont Manual, Louisville Male, and all students at Johnson Traditional Middle School, and Coleridge-Taylor and Young Elementary Schools.
But to get to that point, JCPS needs 60 trained TARC drivers.
"Give those new TARC bus drivers their routes that last week of September and practice over the fall break, and then we would implement those - if we get the 60 - right when they come back from fall break," Pollio said.
Right now, 19 TARC drivers have a school bus certification, 39 are currently testing, and 12 others are in various stages of training.
"We can give the written portion of the test, but the driver portion of the test is done by the Kentucky State Police Department," Pollio said. "So, we really have little control over that. And then having them pass that driver test if they do not succeed that test, then there has to be practice done with drivers in order to get there."
More than 380 students who left their magnet or traditional school because transportation was cut would be eligible to go back if transportation was reinstated.
"Once we get above 60 drivers, which we believe we will...we have to survey the families to see which of those eligible want transportation back to their schools, survey those students who may have left their schools to see if they want to return to that school," Pollio said.
He said all TARC drivers should be trained and certified by the end of August or beginning of September, and is aiming to have them driving JCPS routes after fall break.
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