Delays were expected Friday after 87 Jefferson County Public Schools bus drivers called in sick Friday morning as part of a “sickout”.
Chief of Communications and Community Relations Officer Carolyn Callahan sent out a written statement Friday evening that said most students arrived home around 7 p.m.
“Tonight, all students were dropped off by 7:18 [p.m.], with most students dropped off by 6:40 [p.m.],” she wrote.
She also noted that in the last three Fridays, all-clear times for students arriving home were 7:05 p.m., 7:42 p.m. and 7:23 p.m.
Friday’s sickout came after rumors circulated across social media saying drivers were organizing it to protest working conditions. Local bus drivers are concerned about working longer days, bus overcrowding and student behavior. The call-ins put further stress on a district already struggling with a driver shortage.
The transportation debacle began the first day of school after JCPS changed bus routes to manage the ongoing shortage. Some students didn’t arrive home until around 10 p.m. the first day of school, prompting some parents to call police in search of their children.
JCPS officials have suggested plans to solve the transportation problem, but they will most likely take place next fall.
Support for this story was provided in part by the Jewish Heritage Fund.
