Jefferson County Public Schools got 589 elementary school applications in the first five days of the 2013-14 academic year, a school district spokesman said. That was up from 409 the year before.The first day of the JCPS 2014-15 school year is Wednesday.The process of registering on the first day can create issues for educators and incoming students, said Ben Jackey, a JCPS spokesman. Students who are not registered when classes begin can lead to a loss of educational time.“It creates some uneasiness for the students, certainly, it’s taxing on the staff that needs to be focusing on teaching students and instead they often are tied up in the logistics in getting them registered,” Jackey said.In effort to increase opening day efficiency, JCPS officials have spent much of the past year reaching out to families to make sure incoming students are registered—even if those families cannot get to a permanent student registration site.Those efforts have included what JCPS calls App Mobile—something of a roving command center that goes to neighborhoods that have traditionally high numbers of late registrations.The App Mobile bus has made stops throughout Louisville for months.It's last stop is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at the Lam Building, 4309 Bishop Lane.“The whole reason we put the App Mobile together was to be able to get to families where they are,” Jackey said. “We know there are a lot of demands on family time, whether that is parents who have one job, multiple jobs, students who are involved in enrichment programs, summer camps, all kinds of activities and maybe driving all the way to Bishop Lane and Newburgh Road is not convenient.” Related: WFPL's look at the JCPS elementary assignment planJackey said not all students must register for school. He said only those students who are entering JCPS for the first time, applying to a magnet school or entering kindergarten for the first time.About 6,000 kindergarten students typically are registered with JCPS every year, he said. To register via the mobile registration site, a parent or guardian will need to provide a photo identification and one of the following: utility bill, water bill, lease, house contract, paycheck stub or a government issued check.
