Future of JCPS magnet busing still unclear as first day approaches

This story has been updated to reflect new information from JCPS.

Weeks after Louisville officials partnered with Jefferson County Public Schools to help reinstate busing for some magnet students , it is still unclear how many students will benefit or when families will be notified.

In June, the city said about 70 TARC drivers would take on JCPS routes in the upcoming school year. But JCPS leaders have since said not all of those drivers will be used to restore magnet school routes and those routes will not be restored until September.

At Tuesday's school board meeting, JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said the board could hold a special called meeting the week school starts to let families know which magnet routes could be restored, though transportation department leaders previously said that news wouldn't come until after the first day of school.

"What I would prefer to do is to do it before the first day of school so that we can notify kids that if you have to get transportation the first three weeks of school, it (busing) is coming in September," Pollio said.

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That meeting, he said, would ideally happen one to two days before school starts Thursday, Aug. 8. The board can call a meeting with a 24-hour notice.

This timeline contradicts the transportation's "primary goal," according to Chief Operations Officer Rob Fulk.

Fulk told The Courier Journal in July that goal is to have a successful first day of school with the district's current bus load of roughly 40,000 riders. After drivers got through the first day and leaders were sure routes were running efficiently, then his team would start working to identify which magnet routes to restore, he said.

When asked about the discrepancy, Pollio said the district has been able to onboard TARC drivers more quickly than anticipated.

Currently, the district has about 560 bus drivers, though some could announce their retirement or resignation before the start of the year. The district needs 552 drivers for its board-approved transportation plan.

TARC drivers who get through the certification process to become school bus drivers will first be assigned to fill the shortage, if one still exists, Fulk said. Additionally, because the transportation plan predicts students could still lose five to six million minutes of classroom time, TARC drivers will also be used to address late buses, he said.

Remaining TARC drivers will be used to add magnet students back into the busing system.

On Tuesday, Pollio also announced significant changes regarding who is most likely to regain busing.

Last month, both Pollio and Fulk said only magnet and Academies of Louisville students in schools that start at 7:30 a.m. could regain busing. Pollio also said the restoration wouldn't be based on which school a student attends, but rather where the student lives.

Now, Pollio said whole schools could be added back into the mix, including two elementary schools with an 8:40 a.m. start time.

The district will prioritize restoring busing for students who qualify for free-or-reduced lunch attending Male, Manual and Butler high schools, as well as all students at Johnson Traditional Middle. All students at Coleridge-Taylor Montessori and Young Elementary could have their routes restored, too.

Pollio noted this plan is "a little different," than what was previously discussed. None of what he mentioned was included in Fulk's transportation update that was given to the board.

At the start of the year, the only magnet students who will receive transportation are those at Central and Western high schools and those federally required to be bused.

Families impacted by the busing cuts do qualify for a daily stipend to transport their kids to school. Most qualify for a $5 per day stipend and those who qualify for SNAP benefits will get $10 per day.

Sign-up instructions for the stipends will be sent out in August, according to JCPS.

More: Want to talk JCPS busing? Meet education reporter Krista Johnson at our mobile newsroom

Contact Krista Johnson at kjohnson3@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Future of JCPS magnet busing still unclear as first day approaches