Parent raises repeated concerns about lack of transportation communication to JPS leaders

During public comment at the May 6 Jackson Public School Board meeting, Miss Hughes, a longtime Jackson Public Schools supporter, told the board she has repeatedly raised concerns about transportation communication and said the district’s notification system had not alerted parents about route changes affecting students at Obama Magnet.

"We can get you pour all this money into the VersaTran app, and it's not being used for its intended purpose," Miss Hughes said, adding that families do not receive messages when routes change or when drivers are reassigned. She said she has reported the problem multiple times to administration without improvement and asked the board for better communication.

Hughes described specific worries about younger students riding buses with older children after a school transfer and said she had not been told whether a monitor would ride a reconfigured route. "We never get notified," she said. "As parents, as grandparents, we deserve that. We need to know."

Board members listened but did not respond during the public comment period; the board chair reminded attendees that the board would not respond to comments during the meeting and suggested commenters first contact school leadership when appropriate.

Ending: The board accepted the public comment for the record and moved into its information portion of the agenda. The transportation concern was entered into the meeting record for follow-up by district administration.