JCPS high schools reopen: Louisville area students back in class Monday morning
Jefferson County Public Schools will add high schoolers to the mix Monday as it works to get kids back in school after a disastrous first day that saw massive delays that closed schools for days, including more than a week for secondary students.
This comes after elementary and middle school students returned to class Friday, when there were some delays including late buses in the morning and some buses arriving late after dismissal to pick up students.
Now all three levels are getting on buses, with JCPS transporting up to 70% of its 96,000 students.
JCPS officials asked parents to be patient. If buses are late, families should expect them within 30 to 45 minutes, spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan said last week.
We'll provide updates here throughout the day.
9:06 p.m. - Last student dropped off
The last JCPS bus rider was dropped off Monday at their stop at 7:48 p.m., according to a JCPS release sent out just after 9.
“We were glad to see our high students back in classes today,” Superintendent Marty Pollio said in the release. “I’m proud of our staff who hustled to make sure every child safely arrived at school and got to their bus stops home. While there were some hiccups, just as there are during the first week of school each year, I’m proud of the dedication of our JCPS team. We also want to again thank our families for their continuing patience as we work through these transportation issues.”
While the first round of transfers at the Detrick depot went smoothly, the second round had some hiccups that caused some students to be split onto two buses that departed 40 minutes late.
Eight buses were a part of the second transfer window and one of those showed to the depot 30 minutes late, while another had students who were at the wrong depot. Seven buses left on time.
Hebert said he thinks the students who were taken to the wrong depot had mislabeled tags.
A standby bus was used to take most students home, while a van was used to take others.
7:13 p.m. - Another bus accident
During its second attempt at transporting all JCPS students, there were multiple accidents involving district buses.
Just after 5 p.m., Louisville Metro Police officers responded to a non-injury JCPS bus accident at Shelbyville Road and Eastwood Cutoff. The accident included the bus No. 1912 and two other vehicles, according to LMPD.
This was the fifth minor accident JCPS buses were involved in today.
"With hundreds of school buses on the road every day, we see minor accidents frequently," JCPS spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan said of the accidents. "Today’s fender benders are no different than what we see every year."
The district could not provide any details on what caused the accidents, she said.
4:01 p.m. - First round of transfers goes smoothly at compound
Students from Grace James, Conway Middle, Marion C. Moore School, Echo Trail Middle, Phoenix School Of Discovery all left the Detrick Bus Depot without a hitch. Five buses - four designated for particular schools, another one for any overflow or student who had mistaken their route - were out of the depot lot at 3:08 p.m., beating its expected 3:15 departure.
There are 13 depots across the county that act as transfer hubs for students. Spokesman Mark Hebert noted JCPS has stand-by buses and vans at depots and scattered throughout the area to swoop in and assist with any delays or unforeseen hiccups.
“Things have been going pretty well,” Hebert said. “We're pretty happy. We'll see how it goes this afternoon.”
1:31 p.m. - Excessive heat warning amid afternoon busing
As dismissal times approaches for some JCPS schools, students will board buses amid a high temperatures.
Many students have arrived home late on the first two nights of school, and an excessive heat warning has been issued for Jefferson County from Monday to Thursday night with temperatures and heat indexes slated to be above 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Spokesperson Mark Hebert told a local news outlet that, even though water will be available at the bus depot and compounds, parents should plan ahead when it comes to keeping their kids hydrated.
9:42 a.m. - Jeffersontown Police Department reports fourth JCPS bus crash
According to the Jefferson Town Police Department, a fourth JCPS bus crashed on Chenoweth Run Road with one student on board earlier Monday morning.
No injuries were reported, police said.
9:21 a.m. - Buses arrive 30 minutes after Waggener's first bell
Waggener High School's start time is 8:40 a.m., and even though the last bus arrived 30 minutes after the school's start time Monday, Principal Sarah Hitchings said it was an improvement from last year.
Due to the bus driver shortage, Hitchings said, buses often arrived after first period and students routinely missed that class all year long.
9:02 a.m. - Third JCPS bus crashes
A third bus crash happened around 7:10 a.m., said spokesperson Carolyn Callahan.
Bus 1306 crashed around Blankenbaker Lane and Clarkwood Drive, she said. No injuries were reported.
8:37 a.m. - More buses slated to arrive
At Waggener High School, nine of 13 buses had arrived with just three minutes before the school's start time at 8:40 a.m.
8:16 a.m. - More buses roll out from the depot
At least 10 more buses have left the JCPS bus depot, moving quickly with students arriving at 8:04 and boarding around 8:10.
7:49 - Minor delay at JCPS bus stop
Four buses arrived at the depot around 7:30 a.m., and students from three buses split off onto another four or five buses after 10 to 15 minutes. One cluster of students was delayed by an issue with a parent at one bus stop, according to JCPS spokesperson Mark Hebert.
Students on the delayed bus were sorted onto their next buses in about four minutes.
7:37 a.m. - Second bus accident, this one on Bardstown Road
Bus 1855 near Bardstown Road and Six Mile Lane marked the second crash of the morning, according to JCPS spokesperson Carolyn Callahan. No injuries were reported, she said.
There were 31 students on board headed to Jefferson County Traditional Middle School.
7:21 a.m. - Bus depot sees first students of the morning
Three buses full of students are welcomed into the bus depot in the early hours Monday morning with a cloudy blue sky, a deceptive landscape with a heat wave slated for the rest of the week.
Students waited between 10 to 15 minutes at the depot before hopping onto other buses to take them to their respective schools.
6:55 a.m. - Minor bus accident with student on board
Early Monday morning, a bus with one student on board crashed near Hobart Drive and Estate Drive, according to JCPS spokesperson Carolyn Callahan. There were no injuries reported.
A spare bus came to take the student to Cane Run Elementary, Callahan said. No more details about the crash were immediately available from JCPS.
What if my bus is late?
School and district employees are now tracking where buses are. The district is advising that families first call their students' schools for tracking information. The district's bus hotline is another option and additional staff members have been hired to work in the transportation department's command center, which should mean shorter wait times when calling.
The number is 502-485-RIDE.
Callahan also urged parents to recheck their students' bus stop information on JCPS' bus finder portal, because some have changed.
Are you impacted by delays? Tell us here
Immediate changes the district implemented ahead of Friday's return included having extra buses and vans on standby that can deployed when a kindergartner doesn't have an adult at their stop for them or when a bus arrives late to a depot. These changes are meant to ensure drivers can continue on their route without significant delays.
About 25 buses also will have an extra JCPS employee riding with the driver. Referred to as "shoulder buddies," these employees will have a cell phone and GPS to assist the drivers and communicate with schools.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville area high schools are back in class: Follow JCPS' first day
