LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) has been dealing with transportation issues since the beginning of the school year. After a tumultuous rollout in August, which caused the district to cancel classes for six days, district leaders decided change was needed. 

What You Need To Know

  • Jefferson County Public Schools has been dealing with transportation issues since switching to staggered start times. They are looking at possible solutions to help with a shortage of bus drivers

  • One of the possible solutions is to cut 16,000 magnet and traditional school students’ transportation 

  • JCPS transports more than 60,000 students with 558 drivers

  • Some parents and students fear cutting the bus routes will affect lower-income and minority students disproportionately

On Tuesday, Feb. 13, the JCPS school board held a transportation update to look at solutions. One of those solutions is to cut 16,000 magnet and traditional school students’ transportation.

Students Gregory Collins and Josiah Burton, who currently attend W.E.B. DuBois Academy, said making the change would do more harm than good.

“If this decision goes through, the district will be segregated and low-income students will be on one side of the town while high-income students are on the other side of town. They’ll have a higher curriculum than the low-income students. And that’s just not fair at all,” Collins shared with the board.

“We’ve been provided with such a strong and welcoming community and for that to be removed from us … it’s crucial to not even just our education and our lives entirely,” he said after the meeting.

“I kind of agree. My home school is Iroquois, and I know that if I go to Iroquois, I would never have the same opportunity that I have at DuBois,” said Burton.

JCPS parent Nicole Williams said she can drive her daughters to school, but not all students have that privilege.

“It’s hitting the minority community that the underserved community more than it is the more privileged community. So the kids downtown or the West End, they don’t necessarily have the same privileges as the kids out in the East End. So some of our kids who have who don’t have schools close to them or can’t go to the to the better serve schools are going to be left without,” said Williams.

Presently, JCPS transports more than 60,000 students with 558 drivers. However, absences and call-outs often leave many routes uncovered, causing more delays. Documents released before Tuesday’s meeting shows the district has lost nearly 100 bus drivers since July 2023.

In the presentation shown to the school board, the district believes the option to cut magnet and traditional transportation routes is the best solution, as it will facilitate on-time service with fewer routes.

Williams says what needs to be done is what is in the best interest of the kids.

“My biggest concern is trying to make sure that all the kids have an actual chance to have equal chance to get to school on time, to not have to miss learning, to not miss school because the school bus, because of school bus delays or not even having a bus at all. It’s really affecting our kids, and it’s affecting them in the worst way possible their education,” she said.

Both Collins and Barton said they will be seniors next year and they, as well as many of their peers, may have to transfer simply because they don’t have a way to get to school. 

Both hope the board will find another alternative to combat the transportation issues facing the district. The board will vote on the next steps after receiving the final proposal. The next JCPS meeting will be on March 5.

Related Stories