LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Some parents in the state’s largest school district have questions and potential concerns over a resolution making its way through the state Capitol in Frankfort.
House Resolution 81 would establish a task force to review the state’s largest school districts and study the potential effects of restructuring them, focusing on districts with more than 75,000 students enrolled. According to public data, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is the only district in the state that large.
Jenni Kelley's daughter is a seventh-grader at Jefferson County Traditional Middle School (JCTMS) in Louisville.
“We’ve been very, very happy with our education with JCPS so far," Kelley said. "The frustrating part's the logistics."
Kelley said about a year ago, her daughter’s bus stop was right in front of her house. Now, it’s a half-mile away.
"She's 12; it's a busy street," Kelley said. "It's not safe. In the afternoon, it’s not as bad because it’s light out. We just pray that she has the resources to be able to call if anything was to happen.”
Part of the resolution discusses exploring options for the creation of new school districts from districts with an enrollment of more than 75,000 students and the potential effects of more than 16 issues, including district boundaries and transportation.
“Anything that’s going to improve the district’s and JCPS is something that I’m for, but I would really like to see some down-to-earth explanation on the vision and (proposed) model," Kelley said.
Kelley added she'd like to see the district hire more bus drivers and bring back additional safe routes.
“I’m hoping that they can figure out the best scenario for our children to have safe schools to go to, safe transportation and for the love of God, just work together to find an answer and a solution to this crisis," Kelley said.