LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After Jefferson County Public School's busing "disaster", several GOP lawmakers are now suggesting a slate of legislative actions and asking Gov. Andy Beshear to call a special session.
Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, posted on social media Thursday a letter signed by several GOP state legislators, which says "this is the last straw."
"We can no longer say JCPS is not good and do nothing about it. We're losing students in droves," Nemes said. "I think we need to reimagine what JCPS needs to be."
He and other lawmakers called for Rep. Kevin Bratcher, R-Louisville, to re-file a bill to give students the right to attend their neighborhood schools.
That's something JCPS brought back this school year, changing their student assignment plan for the first time in nearly 50 years.
"But we want to ensconce what they've done and move them a little bit further," Nemes said.
Lawmakers also want to look at splitting JCPS up into smaller districts, offer up an amendment for school choice focused on charter schools and change the board of education.
Board member Dr. Corrie Shull, District 6, said the letter was nothing more than partisan politics.
"I think there have consistently been efforts on the part of the Republican Party here in Kentucky to take over JCPS," Shull said. "What we and JCPS are committed to doing is educating the 96,000 children who enter our buildings day in and day out."
Shull could not confirm whether students will be back by Monday or not.
"We will be back in school when we have an adequate plan to get every child to and from school in a safe and efficient manner," Shull said. "We're trying to get to every family to ensure that they feel heard and that they are responded to in a timely manner."
Jacquelyn Kirkpatrick, a JCPS third grader, said they were on the bus for about three hours.
"Everyone had to go to the bathroom, everyone was hungry. And like, we were all just like, like, sad," she said.
The transportation mayhem is still a sore subject for her family of seven.
Jacquelyn's father, Beau, said his two young daughters stepped off the bus around 9:10 p.m. Wednesday.
"[My first grader] came off the bus covered in her own urine and immediately had to get a bath," he said. "I was definitely mad because I know, it's not the bus driver's fault. I know. It's not the teacher. It's not the principals, right? It's definitely the group of people who implemented this system."
Shull said plain and simple, Wednesday was disastrous.
"[Parents'] anger and their frustration is valid. We're all angry. I'm angry," Shull said. "I'm very disappointed that this plan which was supposed to mitigate students' leave losing instructional hours has proven to not be successful in the first three days of school; that is unacceptable."
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