- The bill, introduced by Democratic Sen. David Yates, aims to address issues with Kentucky’s school transportation system.
- The proposed bill would allow district-owned and district-leased vehicles to transport students to and from school and approved activities.
- It would establish safety standards and training requirements for drivers, including background checks and driving record reviews.
A bill that would allow school districts to expand the fleet of vehicles that transport students to school and home was promoted Monday as a way to improve a bus system hampered by long routes and a lack of bus drivers.
Democratic Sen. David Yates, the bill’s lead sponsor in the Republican-led Senate, said improving student transportation is a bipartisan issue. The bill has been sent to a Senate committee, where supporters tried to advance it by saying it would benefit urban and rural areas in the Bluegrass State.
“We know that transportation in Kentucky is under strain right now,” Yates said at a news conference. “This is a way to ease that burden and make it a little bit safer for the kids, a little more cost-effective and a little faster.”
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This bill would allow school district-owned and school district-leased vehicles to be used to transport students to and from school and to and from school activities under an alternative transportation plan approved by the state education department. These vehicles may include vans and other small vehicles. The goal is to reduce the amount of time students spend riding the school bus each day.
A bill that would allow school districts to expand the fleet of vehicles that transport students to school and home was promoted Monday as a way to improve a bus system hampered by long routes and a lack of bus drivers. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Safety standards have been developed for these vehicles, and drivers must meet training requirements. Drivers will undergo criminal background checks and a review of their driving records.
Yates said expanding the fleet will help districts across the state become more efficient. In urban areas, this bill would ensure more efficient, safer routes and alternative routes for vocational schools. In rural areas, smaller vehicles may be used on less populated routes.
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“This bill is designed to ensure that all children, regardless of their zip code, have access to safe, efficient, and cost-effective transportation to and from school.” said Democratic Sen. Robin Webb, who has worked with Yates. In a news release.
Jefferson County Public Schools, the state’s most populous school district, suffered a disruption to its bus schedule at the beginning of the school year last August. The superintendent called it a “traffic accident,” and the Louisville area’s 96,000 students and their families, bus drivers and school officials who had to attend to students for hours as they waited for buses to arrive. apologized to. Although the district has made modifications to its system, it has struggled with a shortage of bus drivers for years.
Yates, the Louisville City Council member, said Monday that he has been working on the bill ever since. He said the bill would provide flexibility to help rural areas as well as the Jefferson County area.
