JCPS Transportation Hotline Handles Hundreds of Calls in First Days

Increased Demand for Transportation Support

More than 600 people contacted the Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) transportation hotline on its first day, according to district leaders. This number is significantly higher compared to approximately 200 calls received during the same period last year. The 485-RIDE hotline was created to assist families with questions about their child’s bus stop or other transportation-related concerns.

Rachel Scott, the district’s executive administrator of communications and community relations, who oversees the hotline, mentioned that over 100 JCPS employees are currently handling calls. “This is everyone and anyone here at JCPS,” she emphasized. “So it’s kind of all hands on deck.”

Nicole Williams, one of the many employees managing the hotline, shared her observations on how essential the service has become for families. “You have some people who don’t have internet access,” she noted. “Not everyone has the ability to go online or knows how. We have more grandparents now raising their grandchildren.”

Navigating the Online Portal

Scott explained that most callers are seeking assistance in navigating the online transportation portal. She stated that issues are typically resolved immediately, but if not, a ticket is submitted for follow-up. As of Tuesday morning, the ticketing system had received around 500 submissions, with approximately 90% of cases already closed.

Scott urged parents and guardians to check the Bus Teller and the Transportation Portal. “Look at your child’s bus stop. If something seems wrong, we need to know about it now so that we can fix it by next week.”

Nina Burr, whose 11-year-old daughter will start sixth grade at Meyzeek Middle School, followed this advice. After checking the online portal, she noticed an issue with her daughter’s assigned bus stop. “Her bus stop was literally 13 minutes away from my apartment complex,” she explained. Additionally, the bus stop would require her daughter to cross busy Eastern Parkway.

“For a sixth grader to have to cross over Eastern Parkway, it’s very dangerous,” Burr added. She called the 485-RIDE hotline, and within hours, her daughter was assigned a new, safer bus stop on the same side of the street as her apartment.

“I was very, very appreciative and satisfied with the way things were handled,” she said. “They were very passionate, they listened to my concerns, and the person I spoke to drives Eastern Parkway every day, twice a day, so she knew how dangerous it was. She was very adamant about helping me get her bus stop switched to the other side of the street.”

Supporting Multilingual Families

District leaders also highlighted their efforts to assist multilingual families. They have Spanish-speaking call-takers and technology to support families who speak other languages. “We do have something called the language line that is a live interpretation service,” Scott explained. “So we go ahead and merge that phone call, and then there’s an interpreter directly on that call with them.”

The 485-RIDE hotline is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Scott mentioned that these hours could be adjusted based on call volume. With the high demand for transportation support, the district is working diligently to ensure that all families receive the assistance they need.