JCPS magnet students could see bus changes next year; stipends, makeup dates approved

Jefferson County Public Schools is revamping its transportation system − again.

While this year has seen some adjustments after a new plan was implemented, such as families now being offered a stipend to transport their preschool students, potential options for next school year could mean eliminating bus access for almost a quarter of the district's current bus riders.

JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio presented a slate of potential changes, including eliminating transportation to all magnet schools, for school board members to discuss Tuesday night at its meeting.

While these options will be up for discussion throughout the rest of this school year, Pollio said, "I just think the community needs to know that, you know, the days of all students being transported to all schools is at the end of the road."

Meanwhile, the board approved updates to the 2023-2024 calendar to account for some of the days that were canceled due to the busing fiasco at the beginning of the year. The board voted to forgive four student dates and make up two days on Nov. 6 and Jan. 8.

Here's what was covered at the meeting:

Magnet students' busing could change

Nearly 70% — or 68,000 — of the district's students ride buses each day. While ridership has stayed consistent since 2010, Pollio said the number of schools that JCPS transports students to has increased, notably with the additions of Grace James Academy, W.E.B. DuBois, Echo Trail Middle and Hudson Middle.

Right now, the limits on who can get transportation from JCPS are nearly nonexistent.

While JCPS students are eligible for busing if they live more than one mile from their school, the district's policy also states, "if traffic or other safety conditions make walking to school extremely hazardous, parents may request transportation for their children without regard to the distance to their school."

But that could soon change. The possible restrictions are centered around magnet or traditional students, which reportedly make up about 15,968 bus riders.

Here are the options presented for the next school year:

• Transport all magnet/traditional students via “Magnet Hubs,” potentially saving approximately 60 to 70 routes.

• Transport only magnet/traditional students who are on free and reduced lunch through the district’s current system, potentially saving around 90 to 100 routes.

• Transport only magnet/traditional students who are on free and reduced lunch via Magnet Hubs, potentially saving approximately 100 to 110 routes.

• Eliminate transportation to all magnet/traditional students, potentially saving about 130 to 140 routes.

The use of a “Magnet Hub” would be different from the current system. Right now, many students who go to a magnet school get on one bus near their home, are driven to a bus depot and then switch onto a different bus that will then transport them to school.

Under many of these options, the student will have to be independently taken to a place considered a "magnet hub" where they will then board a bus to take them to their school. This hub location could be a "multitude of things," such as another school in the student's area or a large shopping center parking lot, Pollio said.

Where these hubs will be located is still up for discussion.

Regardless of what future plan is adopted, there are some required exceptions for some students. Federal law requires districts to provide transportation for homeless students and those with a disability plan, known as an Individualized Education Plan, that includes transportation services. JCPS had about 3,300 homeless students and about 1,500 students with Individualized Education Plans that required transportation last year.

"None of these are easy answers. None of them are things that we want to do," Pollio said.

At the meeting, Pollio recommended JCPS take this conversation to the community throughout the course of this year, so that a new plan can be fully developed and adopted by next school year.

But he said transporting 68,000 students to and from schools is simply not possible anymore, given the national bus driver shortage that has forced education leaders to alter their transportation systems - as the district did this year.

JCPS goal for final dropoff is 6:30 p.m.

The changes made to the district's transportation system this school year were meant to remedy two issues: Students getting to and from school late and the lack of sleep middle and high school students were enduring with a 7:40 a.m. start time.

On the first day of classes last month, however, students were stuck after school for hours and some didn't get home until nearly 10 p.m.

Over the course of several days that school was canceled as a result, district leaders made changes that have improved efficiency − with the last students now regularly getting home about 7 p.m. − which is less than three hours after the last set of schools dismiss.

The goal is to have all students dropped off by 6:30 p.m. On Sept. 21, 15 buses were still on the road with 69 students on them at that 6:30 p.m. mark, according to data collected by JCPS.

Pollio offered some other recent data based on the first 21 days of the school year. So far this year, an average of 8% of bus riders are late to school each day. This accounts for about 13.5 minutes of instructional time lost per day for each late-arriving student. In addition, about 42 afternoon buses are late each day.

Parents of JCPS preschoolers can get stipends

The school board approved a proposal that would pay $5 per school day and up to $25 a week for families to transport their preschool students to and from school. This would mean giving families about $700 to $800 over the course of a school year, Pollio said.

The allowance rate is based on an estimated travel distance of 5.8 miles per day each way times the JCPS approved mileage rate of 44 cents per mile. The reimbursement will be paid approximately 15 days after the end of each calendar month that preschool is in session.

Families will be contacted soon to sign up for the stipend. Bus transportation is still available for students with disabilities whose parents or guardians do not choose this option.

For the system as a whole, Pollio said he is “disappointed” by the breadth of technological advances out there that JCPS is not currently using and mentioned a few changes “on the horizon” that are being worked on.

Right now, bus drivers use paper instruction for route directions. Pollio hopes to soon have turn-by-turn GPS directions for bus drivers.

Pollio also mentioned a change in how students will be tagged for their particular buses. Right now, students use paper tags, typically pinned on their backpacks, to identify which bus to use. According to Pollio, the goal is to change that system where the student will now have an ID card to scan to the bus.

"That scan then tells the bus driver if the student is on the right bus, (and it) has a picture of the student. Then, when the driver pulls up to the stop, it tells the driver which students should be getting off of that bus on that particular stop," Pollio said.

More: Paying parents to drive? JCPS seeks 'sustainable' solution to bus transportation issues

Reach reporter Rachel Smith at rksmith@courierjournal.com or @RachelSmithNews on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: JCPS OKs makeup dates, parent stipends; looks at magnet busing