Parents, Teachers Worry District's Transportation Changes Could Impact Athlete Eligibility

A school district in Kentucky has teachers and parents worried after proposing a new transportation plan that may impact, among other things, student-athlete eligibility. 

Jefferson County Public Schools is considering cutting magnet school transportation, raising concerns that some students may need to transfer to another school to continue receiving transportation. The move could also interfere with those students who are on a career pathway. 

JCPS officials presented three plans for future transportation needs, but said cutting magnet/traditional schools transportation is the best option.

Frances Sowells, who has two children that attend JCPS schools, spoke about her concerns at a Tuesday night meeting. Sowells' son Isaac will be a senior football player at Male High School next year, and Sowells now worries about student-athletes that will have to transfer to other schools because they may not have a school bus to ride. 

"Has KHSAA (Kentucky High School Athletic Association) agreed to grant immediate eligibility to the thousands of kids who by rule would no longer be eligible to play sports because they have changed schools?" she asked, according to WDRB. "In addition to this, have agreements been made with KHSAA to immediately reclassify all sports that enrollments define class, schools such as Male, Manual, Central?"

Currently, students who play varsity sports for a year in Kentucky and transfer will have to sit out a year. However, KHSAA said there can be exceptions, including  actions from the Board of Education that mandate a change in schools. 

In response to questions from WDRB, JCPS Communications Manager Mark Hebert released this statement:

"We understand that families have questions tied to next year's transportation model. But until the Board of Education adopts a transportation plan for the 2024-25 school year, we are unable to definitively answer those questions. As always, we will support families and work toward solutions that are in the best interests of our students."