JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ky. —
Jefferson County Public Schools students may return to the classroom Aug. 8, but the deadline to report a change of address to ensure children have bus stops on the first day of school is approaching even sooner.
Families who recently moved or will move before Aug. 8 must report address changes by Monday, July 22. Families can report address changes by filling out the Proof of Address Form or calling the child’s school.
“That’s what triggers our transportation department to know that they need to find a bus stop for you if there isn’t already one that you can safely go to," said Carolyn Callahan, JCPS Chief of Communications.
After the July 22 deadline, there will be a “freeze period” where no additional students will be assigned bus stops until the week of Aug. 12, according to JCPS. This means that if a family misses the deadline, their child will not be picked up until at least the second week of school.
“The goal is, that it’s not adding more to the bus drivers and changing their routes right up to the last minute; it’s making sure our routing is efficient, that we have the stops where we need them," Callahan said. “This should actually be better, it should take some stress off of the drivers and families because there won’t be major changes those first couple of weeks of school.”
JCPS also announced that it will be offering stipends to some families who take their children to and from school this fall. These stipends will be $5 per day for most families and $10 per day for those whose students qualify for free and reduced lunch. JCPS said instructions will be sent to qualified families in early August.
“We’re giving these stipends to help offset the cost of gas and the wear-and-tear on your vehicle driving your student to and from school every day," Callahan said.
JCPS has said the stipends could total between $850-1,700 based on a family's income.
The school district estimated that the five to 10 dollar payouts for gas money could cost them as much as $7.6 million.
More information on the stipend program can be found on the JCPS 2024-25 School Year web page.
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