LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Jefferson County Board of Education is scheduled to meet Wednesday to approve a transportation plan for the 2024-25 school year for Jefferson County Public Schools.
The board was scheduled to hold a special meeting at the VanHoose Education Center starting at 6 p.m. According to a notice released by the district, the only topic for the meeting is “recommendation for approval” of the JCPS transportation plan.
Board member Chris Kolb said eliminating transportation for all magnet and traditional students remains on the agenda, which would impact more than 14,000 bus riders. .
Other options to consider may include exceptions such as providing magnet and traditional student transportation if more than 75% of a school's students are on free or reduced lunch .
Students who continue to receive transportation include those who are required to receive transportation by state and/or federal law, such as students attending residential schools and students whose Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) include transportation. It is included.
The debate over how to fix Louisville's broken public school bus system has become an emotional one, filled with detours and delays.
Kolb said any option would mean consolidating start times next school year, potentially moving from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The meeting was called by three directors: Mr. Kolb, Mr. Joe Marshall and Ms. Linda Duncan.
Typically, our Chairman, Mr. Cory Schall, convenes special board meetings.
Shull said Thursday was scheduled for a community meeting to review the transportation plan through the Racial Equity Assessment Protocol, which was created by JCPS to assess whether the plan is fair within the community. He said he was concerned about holding a special meeting on Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, it shows that the board is ignoring the voices of the community,” Schall told WDRB News on Tuesday.
Kolb said Schall told them he would call a special meeting, but that didn't happen, so Kolb, Marshall and Duncan called a meeting.
The announcement of the special meeting comes about two weeks after the board voted on the new transportation plan after about three hours of discussion and public comment.
The district's recommendation to the school board was to approve eliminating transportation for magnet students and traditional students. JCPS spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan previously said the plan is the best option in a tough choice, even for minority students.
But hundreds of JCPS students, parents and some staff, primarily at Central High School, showed up to protest that possible decision at the March meeting.
At the same meeting, Marcus Dobbs, JCPS executive administrator for transportation, told board members that his team is already three weeks behind in setting next year's routes.
Board members said putting the vote on hold would give them more time to discuss and consider the plan and review information released in the district's recent audit before voting.
But the day after that meeting, JCPS Chief Operating Officer Rob Faulk sent a letter to the board that cited poor transportation, district leaders' work ethics and inaccurate data, among other issues. , it listed seven points in which it believed the audit was incorrect.
The board may eliminate transportation between magnet schools and traditional schools, maintain transportation as is, or close transportation between magnet schools and traditional schools except for schools with a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch. Several options were considered, including eliminating traditional school transportation.
Other JCPS transportation scope:
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