JCPS Outlines Some Changes As Schools Stagger Students’ Return

(WAVE) – Jefferson County Public Schools announced classes will be canceled on Thursday and Friday as the district continues to work on transportation issues. A letter was sent out to JCPS families on Monday, saying the district will implement a staggered reopening starting Friday, August 18.

On Friday, all elementary and middle school students return. All high school students will return on Monday, Aug. 21.

“Students at multilevel schools will return back with their level,” the letter said. “For instance, Marion C. Moore middle school students will return to school Friday, August 18. Marion C. Moore high school students will return to school Monday, August 21.”

The district said they will ask the Jefferson County Board of Education to forgive as many missed days as possible so students will not have to make them up at the end of the year.

JCPS also shared some short-term adjustments while they work to implement the long-term solutions.

Below are the following short-term adjustments, according to JCPS:

• We will implement technology allowing parents and schools to know where a student’s bus is during the ride to and from school. We will provide families with instructions on how to use this technology soon.
• We will have JCPS vans and drivers available to take elementary students home or back to school when they don’t have an adult waiting at a stop. This will allow drivers to continue their routes without returning to the original school.
• We will provide an extra bus or van at depots to take students home when/if they arrive late to the depot so all other depot buses can continue their routes without waiting for one or two final buses to arrive.
• There will be an additional JCPS staff member with a cell phone and GPS on buses with the longest, most challenging routes to help with directions and communicate with schools and bus compounds when a bus runs excessively late.
• We will reduce the length of routes with lots of stops, starting with afternoon runs.
• All elementary and middle school families who need Special Needs Transportation will receive a phone call by Wednesday evening with their transportation information.

Long-term solutions include revamping the cross-town bus routes.