‘It's just a very dangerous situation’: Pasco Schools cut courtesy busing, force students to cross busy road
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Thousands of students in Pasco County who currently take the bus will need to find another way to school next fall.
The Pasco County School District is getting rid of courtesy busing for those who live within two miles of their school. For many, this means having to cross a busy State Route 54 to get to school, but parents are pushing back because they are concerned about safety.
The district says there are simply not enough bus drivers to go around. Also, courtesy busing for middle and high school students is not covered by the state so it’s up to the district to foot the bill. Regardless of the reasons, parents FOX 13 spoke with feel the cuts will only cause more problems.
Cars zipping down State Route 54 in Pasco County is parent Donna Havens biggest concern.
"There's a lot of accidents out here. We've had people die out there. I don't want my child or anyone else's child to be a victim," Havens said.
Last Wednesday, she received this email from Pasco County Schools informing her it is eliminating unfunded busing or courtesy ridership for middle and high school students who reside within two miles of their school beginning in the fall.
"Thinking of my 12-year-old child that has to walk alone almost a 45-minute walk actually makes me really scared," parent Zena Alhilly said.
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For parents like Alhilly and Havens, who both work during pick-up and drop-off times, this means their kids would have to get to school on foot which is about a 45-minute walk. It requires crossing State Route 54, which does have a crosswalk at the intersection of Little Road.
"I don't want my child on that road. I don't like walking that road even when I'm on the sidewalk. Again, it's just a very dangerous situation," Havens said.
The cuts impact about 3,000 students. We checked in with other districts and learned Hillsborough County Schools cut courtesy busing for middle and high school students years ago. It's the same in Pinellas County, however, students who have to cross US 19 to get the school are considered an exception and are provided courtesy busing.
"They need to reconsider their bus issue and come up with something else or, you know, there's going to be a lot of problems with the car loop," Havens said.
Havens is hoping the district will consider making an exception similar to Pinellas County's, but no word if the district is considering that.
"The state has determined that families that live within two miles of their school can provide transportation for their student. As a result, the state does not provide funding for transporting those students," a district spokesperson said in a statement emailed to FOX 13 late Wednesday. "For years, we have provided transportation for thousands of students who live well within the two-mile limit. That is not sustainable, given our bus driver shortage."