ROAD

9 August Louisville, Kentucky

A large school system in Kentucky was forced to close schools after a situation that was dubbed a “transportation disaster” by the superintendent. The situation left some children on buses until just before 10 p.m. on the first day of school. In a video statement posted to social media, Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio apologized to the district’s 96,000 students, their families, bus drivers and school officials. He said that canceling day two and day three of school was the hardest decision of his superintendent career. The school district later extended the school closure into the following week. The district, which includes Louisville, has 65,000 bus riders. In a video statement made by the superintendent he said the district “always experiences delays in transportation during the first days of school” but that what occurred was unacceptable. Families waited for hours, the statement said, for children to return home after dismissal. “We acknowledge that the delays and frustrations felt by families were worse than in years past as bus drivers, families, students and school staff all worked to navigate a brand-new transportation plan,” he said in the statement.