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Ky. (WAVE) – Jefferson County Public Schools is less than 48 hours away from its first day of school, with roughly 96,000 students expected to return to class. District leaders say they are confident the day will go smoothly, and Superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood is opening the year with a direct message to families
“I want you to know that communication will be a major priority this year,” Yearwood said. “You deserve timely and accurate information.”
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) enters the school year with several new faces in leadership, the result of positions being reorganized or eliminated due to an ongoing budget deficit. Yearwood said the new team is committed to open communication and putting students first
He said the district plans to communicate with families more often and more clearly, and called on parents to take an active role in their children’s education
“We really need parents to become partners with us so that we can better educate their child and provide better experiences within the schools,” Yearwood said. “So for us it’s proactive communication — making sure that we are truthful, timely and let them know, hey, we need them as partners.”
Yearwood also said the district has moved its finances out of crisis mode, allowing leadership to shift focus toward academics and student growth
For nearly 50,000 JCPS students, the school day begins and ends at the bus stop. Chief of Operations Dr. Rob Fulk said the district is starting the year with more than 700 bus drivers, who have spent days practicing their routes
“I feel very confident about where we are transportation-wise this year,” Fulk said
Last school year, JCPS averaged a final student dropoff of 5:41 p.m. Fulk said parents should expect that time to run later on the first day
“Typically, the first day of school, my target is 6:59 with 59 seconds,” Fulk said. “Anything with a 6 in front of it, I feel good about on the first day of school.”
JCPS recommends families use the Bus Teller service and download the My Ride K-12 app to track their student’s bus in real time
JCPS Police Chief Todd Kessinger said every middle and high school will have a school resment coordinator — a new position created after the district eliminated safety administrators due to budget cuts
“They’ll have their primary assignment and then they will have two elementary schools to cover,” Kessinger said
The district will also deploy four K-9 units, each assigned to detect either guns, bombs or narcotics. A fourth dog will serve as a therapy animal
Kessinger said the weapons detection system will remain staffed despite the loss of safety administrators, calling the technology a significant tool for the district
“Last school year, we recovered eight weapons,” Kessinger said. “Only one of those weapons made it through inside the building.”
Every JCPS student will have access to free breakfast and lunch this school year. The executive director for nutrition services said one of the district’s primary goals is reducing food insecurity in the community
One menu item is changing, however, due to the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce. Terina Edington, the district’s executive director for nutrition services, said JCPS does not offer iceberg lettuce because it is not nutrient-dense enough, but the district is taking additional precautionary steps
“Last year, we did offer shredded lettuce as part of our taco fixings bar,” said Edington. “And just as a precautionary measure, we have decided to discontinue allowing that until this is passed.”
Edington said JCPS has not received any notifications of produce tied to recalls or advisories being served in district schools
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