LOUISVILLE, Ky. — JCPS is considering canceling bus routes because they don't have enough drivers to get kids home by their goal of 6:30 p.m. Cutting routes to magnet and traditional schools would reduce the number of buses required by about 100, officials said.
"Any plan to put the magnet programs behind what's an explicit paywall means that kids that don't have means can't go to the magnet programs, which everybody knows are the best schools in Jefferson County," JP Lyninger said.
His daughter goes to a magnet school. Although the bus takes her in the morning, Lyninger picks her up because of how late the route runs. Working from home gives him the flexibility to make it possible, but "lots of people can't," he said.
"My really big concern is if I cannot leave my job at the hospital and provide transportation, because some of us have 12-hour shifts, 8-hour shifts, do I have to now change my son's high school?" Lorie Minnich, a local nurse, told WHAS11.
Her son attends a traditional school so he's had the same classmates since kindergarten. Now in eighth grade, he may not be able to join them as they move on to high school. It's the social and academic experience Minnich chose for her children and helped influence her decision to live in Louisville over Bullitt County.
The district's also considering other route cancellations, like offering parents who take their children to and from school a stipend to reduce the number of bus riders, but right now they're only eyeing high schools for the possibility.
"We are investigating," Fulk said, "but I'm not prepared to bring forward a formal recommendation for parent stipend. And it says 'high school,' because high school would be the most impactful. We do not believe we have the space for the car rider lines at our elementary schools."
While the question of where her son goes next lingers, the district still has to try and retain drivers.
According to data given by interim Chief Operations Officer Rob Fulk, since 2015, the number of full-time drivers dropped from 1080 to the current total of 574. They're projected to lose another 50 by August 2024.
One of the drivers' main complaints has been about student behavior.
At Tuesday night's board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said he would reiterate to all principals the need to respond to every behavior referral. That's also when he called the old system antiquated.
"Many times our schools were getting referrals that might be a couple weeks old," Pollio said. "That is difficult as a school to deal with and then sometimes, yes, they just weren't addressing the situation like they should've."
Overall, Minnich said "I blame our legislature in Frankfort." Lyninger agreed, saying that "Republicans in Frankfort have for decades failed to meet the funding requirements for transportation for students in Jefferson County and we're seeing the consequences to that."
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.