Could Central High keep transportation if JCPS ends magnet school busing?

Jefferson County school board members could vote to end busing for magnet students during Wednesday's special called meeting, but they could also choose to keep transportation for a few magnet schools with high poverty rates.

A presentation attached to the board agenda shows this is one option that JCPS transportation leaders have explored, and at least one board member supports it.

Board member James Craig said he supports cutting magnet transportation, except for schools where at least 75% of the students are considered economically disadvantaged by the federal government. The magnet schools that fall into this category are:

• Carter Elementary (76%),

• Central High (81%)

• Coleridge-Taylor Elementary (87%)

• Foster Elementary (92%)

• Whitney Young Elementary (94%)

Additionally, it would include Western High School, which will become a full magnet school next year. Currently, 81% of its students are from impoverished households.

This option could appease community members who have spoken out against district leaders' insistence that cutting magnet busing is the most equitable solution to its busing woes. It will, however, mean bus riders will continue to arrive late to school next year, according to the district's presentation.

If all magnet busing ends, there will be no lost instructional time, it states. If board members side with Craig and choose to provide transportation to some magnet students, the district says it will result in at least 4 million lost instructional minutes.

This year, students have lost at least 7 million instructional minutes,, and if the board chooses not to make any changes to the current system, the district says it will lead to more than 17 million lost minutes.

Transportation leaders have said the current system cannot work given the bus driver shortage, though a recent investigative audit provided the district with several recommendations on how it could alter routes to improve efficiency.

That audit was done by Prismatic Services, the K-12 education consulting firm the district hired at the request of board members in August. She told board members during their last meeting that she doesn't agree the district has to cut magnet transportation to have more drivers than routes.

Rob Fulk, the district's chief operations officer, told board members she is wrong and that they need to listen to transportation leaders.

It is unclear how many other board members would support this new option. Two board members told The Courier Journal they would not, and calls and messages sent to the remaining board members were not answered.

Gail Strange, who represents all but one of the high poverty schools, told The Courier Journal Wednesday she doesn't want any students to lose busing at this point. Her position, she said, is that 100% of magnet and traditional students should continue to receive transportation while the district works to find the right solution to its busing issues.

More: Which JCPS magnet schools would be most impacted by ending busing?

Sarah McIntosh, who represents southeast Louisville, said basing busing access on rates of poverty — which are quantified by the number of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch — would be irresponsible because those rates fluctuate.

"Schools could shift in or out of that threshold year-to-year depending on enrollment or even with a change of qualifying status from the federal government," McIntosh said. "So, if more schools shift into a higher percentage of (economically disadvantaged) students, then what? We'd be in the same situation as now with more riders than we could provide service for."

McIntosh has said she will support ending magnet transportation, given the current transportation system has been a major failure for countless families this year. Bus riders arrive at school late each day and are stuck at school after dismissal waiting on buses to arrive, and district leaders say the majority of those bus riders are students of color.

"I understand the focus is on those that will no longer be able to utilize JCPS-provided transportation," McIntosh said Tuesday. "I certainly don't WANT to make this change. However, I can't ignore the students who are missing hours of instruction every day and/or not getting home until dinner time. Those students, on average, represent very vulnerable populations with high rates of poverty. Their families would be transporting them if they could, rather than endure those hardships. I wish more of their voices were being heard through this."

More: This special school board meeting is bigger than busing. It is white supremacy in action.

The board will meet Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Van Hoose Center, 3332 Newburg Road. Comments from the public will not be permitted.

Contact Krista Johnson at kjohnson3@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Could Central High keep transportation if JCPS ends magnet busing?