https://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/TWCNews/louisville_planned_parenthood_abortion_ky_0625?wid=1250&hei=703&$wide-bg$

What You Need To Know

  •  Jefferson County Public Schools unveiled nine different start times for schools

  •  The proposal would cut bus routes from 732 to 600 and eliminate drivers double or tripling back around

  •  Students would get to school on average 14 minutes before the start of school

  • K-12 students would start at times from 7:40-9:40 a.m.

The proposal would create eight different start times for students in grades K-12 that range from 7:40 a.m. to 9:40 p.m. A ninth start time would be at 10:40 a.m. for pre-K students.

Dismissal times would range from 2:20 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. for K-12 students and as late as 5:20 p.m. for pre-school kids.

Under this plan, the number of bus routes will be reduced from 732 to 600 and no drivers would no longer be required to make double or triple runs to students.

JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said the number one goal is getting students to school on time without them missing any instruction.

“We actually now have enough bus drivers for every route. We eliminate double and triple routes. Kids will get to school an average of 14 minutes before the start of school. They will leave at the latest 14 minutes after school,” Pollio said.

Currently, 20,000 students are showing up anywhere from 10 minutes to two and a half hours late to school because of having too many routes and not enough drivers.

“We have lost nearly 3 million minutes of instruction for our students of those 20,000 because of our bus transportation,” Pollio said.

Pollio said the district could either increase the amount of start times or eliminate transportation for most students

“Magnets would not receive transportation. Free/reduced lunch students may be the only students that receive transportation,” Pollio said.

Pollio said that’s been an option many districts across the nation have opted for but said they did not consider it at JCPS. Another plus under the proposal is most middle and high schools would start later.

“The research is clear, it improves attendance, it improves tardiness, improves health and well-being of students and it improves academic outcome,” Pollio said.

Caleb Johnson, a science teacher at Central High School in Louisville, said it may even make his job easier.

“I can’t get them to talk, can’t get them to do anything. I’m like who wants to come play with the lab and they’re all like, ‘Ugh,’” Johnson said.

Pollio acknowledged change can be hard but reiterated the current plan is no longer feasible.

“We’re the 28th largest district in the United States that has two start times that is built for a district that has 5,000, 6,000, 7,000 students,” Pollio said.

19 school start times would remain the same under this proposal and 83% of schools will only have their start time adjusted by an hour or less.

JCPS is holding an informational session on the topic next Monday at 6 p.m.

Related Stories