HOUSTON – As students prepare for the first day of school, some Houston Independent School District (HISD) parents are scrambling to figure out transportation after last-minute changes to bus stops. Several parents reached out to 2 Helps You team with concerns about the sudden adjustments.
HISD says route changes at the start of each school year are common and that only a small number of students are affected this time. However, parents say they were given less than a week’s notice.
One mother, Ebony Cain, shared her worries about her 13-year-old son’s new bus stop location. Cain’s son attends a gifted and talented program at Pershing Middle School, which still offers bus service. But the new bus stop assigned to him is at Jack Yates High School — more than three miles away.
“Driving, it takes 13 to 14 minutes with no traffic,” Cain said. “If my son had to walk, it’s going to take over an hour, and it’s still over three miles.”
Cain expressed concerns about the safety of the route, pointing out busy sidewalks, ongoing construction, bridges along Highway 45, and panhandlers.
“Look at this — is he supposed to walk over this bridge? This is like a highway. Construction. No,” she said.
The bus was the best option for Cain and her family because it fits her work schedule and allows her to care for her toddler daughter.
“I also have to get my toddler to school and back. Now that my son is 13 and capable of walking a reasonable distance to a bus stop, that’s the option I have to have,” Cain explained.
Despite multiple attempts, Cain says she had difficulty reaching HISD for assistance.
HISD sent KPRC 2 the following statement:
“HISD’s policy is that zoned students will receive a stop within 2 miles of their home, and magnet students will receive a stop within 3 miles of their home. A small number of students with unique circumstances have a bus stop that is further than 3 miles from their home. These students would otherwise have a ride time of more than 90 minutes each way if assigned to a bus route closer to their home. Bus routes change at the start of each school year. We understand that some parents may experience a change in stop location or distance from what they are accustomed to. These changes will enable the district to provide more efficient and reliable service to students. We encourage families to review the walk distance and path from their home to the bus stop to determine whether their student should walk or ride in a car to the stop. Any family with a specific safety concern should contact the district at transportation@houstonisd.org”
“Every child matters, no matter where they live, and they need to be able to get there safely,” Cain said.