LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Students across Jefferson County are on their first full week of classes, but getting to school has been a headache for many parents.
Some report hours-long waits, lack of communication and even moments of not being able to locate their child.
For April Sallete, her kindergartener’s bus was up to two hours late one day.
"By the time she gets off the bus, she's starving. She's got to go straight to the bathroom. I mean, that's just not good for a five-year-old," Sallette said. "On Wednesday, she got home at 5:20. On Thursday, she got home at 6:20."
WHAS11 checked and found some drop offs nearing three hours past dismissal, it's something parents like Tina Baldwin also say they're experiencing.
"She was eventually dropped off at 6:38pm which is very concerning to me," Baldwin said.
Baldwin claims her nine-year-old was not able to be found at one point. Parent Dionna Jones said she also went through with her second-grade daughter.
"My mom was at the bus stop since four waiting for her, so she was panicking. And we had no way to get a hold of anybody to talk to you about where my child could possibly be," Jones said.
JCPS Officials said in an email to WHAS11 News the bus delay dashboard is updated every Saturday for the week ahead.
However, they also note it does not account for any call outs by drivers, which could add to the delays even more.
Jones said with her having to work, this type of transportation is something her family relies on.
"With me working, you know, 12 hours and not sometimes I definitely can't drop her off because I have to be at work at 6:30," she said.
All agreeing that at the end of the day they feel these bus drivers are trying as hard as they can.
"My heart goes out to them. I know they are trying their best. And I know that my daughter's bus driver. She is amazing," Baldwin said."
JCPS tells us they've got dozens of drivers in the pipeline they're hoping to onboard as soon as possible. You can access the dashboard by clicking here.
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