LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Many families are driving their students to Jefferson County Public Schools this year.
Thursday was the first day of the new school year, and the district’s new transportation plan.
After last year’s busing issues, transportation was cut for magnet and traditional schools—except for two.
Four Jefferson County students, four different schools, three different start times and zero busses. That’s the situation for the Rubano family.
“It’s daunting, it’s overwhelming. I feel like if I accommodate one kid, then three other kids are suffering because there’s just no way to make it all work at once,” said Chasity Rubano, a JCPS parent.
Rubano left her home at 6:20 a.m. with her car full of kids. Her oldest child JoLee, who is a junior at Butler Traditional High School, lost bussing when the district cut transportation to magnet and traditional schools. Her youngest child’s school was moved out of their cluster, so he isn’t provided transportation to the school he’s been attending.
“Honestly, our elementary schooler’s bus really was not ideal anyways. We were dealing with late, late, late drop offs, but losing the bus for our high schooler has had the biggest effect on our entire household,” said Rubano.
That’s including waking up all her children before the sun rises, to make sure their big sister gets to Butler on time.
“My biggest worry remains my elementary school kiddo, who his school day doesn’t start till 9:40 and it ends at 4:30, but he’s in the car at 6:30 in the morning,” she said.
Third grader Reagan woke up long before his class started, and he said he has a long day ahead of him.
“Because I was in the car for three hours and I have to be at school for ten,” said Reagan Rubano,
By 9:15 a.m. all her students were dropped off at school, and most importantly, they all made it on time.
“I’m really impressed with how the schools individually prepared for the influx of car riders. I think each individual drop off went really well,” said Rubano.
The next challenge is picking them all back up. Rubano’s husband will get their children home when he gets off work.
“My husband changed his shift and took a pay cut so that he could accommodate as many pickups as he can,” she said.
Even with those changes, he still won’t be out of work early enough to get JoLee from school and the family is still identifying a consistent plan to get her home.
“It worries me just a little bit because … Butler’s already said we can’t be at school after a certain amount of time. So, like, if I don’t get picked up till after that, I’m not really sure where I’m supposed to go,” said JoLee Rubano.
As they work out the kinks, Chasity Rubano said she appreciates everyone in the district who is working on the transportation plan and wants to see JCPS succeed.
“We love our schools enough that it was worth it. So we made any sacrifice we could to keep them where they need to be, because we do love JCPS,” said Chasity Rubano.
Friday, the Rubano family will do its three hours of drop-off and three hours of pickup all over again.
The district is planning on restoring some bus routes later this year.
Superintendent Marty Pollio said JCPS is hiring 70 bus drivers from the Transit Authority of River City. Once they are qualified to drive a school bus, Pollio said the district is planning to provide transportation to its “neediest” magnet students.