LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is already feeling the effect of needing 70 more bus drivers. Some students at JCPS waited nearly 20 minutes to over an hour for a school bus to pick them up on the first day of school on Wednesday. It’s something Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio addressed as an ongoing challenge.
While the first day of school can be fun, it can also cause frustration. Angelica Rowe, a Louisville resident, waited 40 minutes for her child’s school bus and it never came. As a result, she had to drive him to school herself. Pollio says parents should take their children to school in the first week because of the severe bus delays.
“There are challenges to figuring out all 7000 bus stops. Getting on the right bus, getting our youngest kids on the right bus, making sure they’re going to the right school. Admittedly, we have the most complex transportation system in America,” said Dr. Pollio.
The district instructed parents who wanted to let their child ride the bus to have them at the bus stop early. Rowe says she did just that.
“We need to be at the bus stop five minutes before,” said Rowe.
She actually made it to her nephew’s bus stop at 8:18 a.m. on the first day of school, with the bus scheduled for 8:24 a.m.
“Yeah there’s buses but [not his]….,” said Rowe.
Rowe has raised her nephew Rockland since he was born. She says her 1st grader begged her to ride the bus this year.
“Last year we left the house at 8:30 to get to school. I was like, ‘OK, if the bus is coming at 8:20, there’s no real reason for me to drive you and I don’t have to, if you want to ride the bus.’ He was begging all last year to ride the bus to school,” said Rowe.
Riding the big yellow bus is undoubtedly a piece of everyone’s childhood. Rowe feels it’s a challenge when the district’s bus delay webpage isn’t showing her child’s bus, while she looks at another bus passing. In total, Rowe and her nephew waited 40 minutes before calling it quits.
“Yeah, we have to go, because otherwise we’re going to be late for real,” said Rowe.
Choosing to drive her child to school is something Rowe is thankful she can do in this situation, but it’s not something she feels she should have to do.
“The bus isn’t here, and it’s not on the list of the buses that are late. So I don’t know if it’s ever coming. I’ve got to go to work, he’s got to go to school. What other choice do I have? Other than take him myself,” said Rowe.
Rowe tells me she will keep trying to let her nephew ride the bus to school. However, she is prepared each morning to take him herself. Dr. Pollio says if parents cannot find their child’s bus on the bus delay dashboard, it’s best to contact their school directly. He adds that the webpage will be updated weekly on Saturdays at 2 p.m. to reflect the following week’s bus delays. For more resources, parents and students can also refer to the JCPS bus hotline number 502-485-RIDE.