Cy-Fair ISD families voice concerns over cut school bus routes: 'JUST FIX IT'

Cy-Fair parents frustrated over bus route issues

Cy-Fair ISD parents are becoming frustrated with the district due to school bus routes being cut, raising safety concerns. FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia is in Cypress after speaking with parents about what's been going on.

CYPRESS, Texas - Frustration is mounting among Cy-Fair ISD parents after the district decided to cut school bus routes, which is raising safety concerns for families especially in areas affected by ongoing construction.

Parents told FOX 26 the lack of bus services has become an inconvenience, as they now have to pick up and drop off their kids at school—a task made more challenging due to the ongoing construction that would have otherwise made them eligible for transportation.

Michala Shanks, a Cy-Fair ISD parent at Woodard Elementary, voiced her concerns about the transportation challenges. "We were told on the first day that we couldn’t cross the street legally because there was no open crosswalk," Shanks said. "I have to take my husband to work and then come home, get my kids ready for school, and drop them off."

Another parent, George Gomez, criticized the district for not being prepared on the first day of school. "Nothing was ready on day one for the kids to get to school, since they eliminated bus routes here from the neighborhood," Gomez said.

According to Cy-Fair ISD 2024-2025 Transportation Plan, an elementary student will be transported who lives one or more miles from the students' campus of regular attendance. The following criteria which was approved by the CFISD Board of Trustees on June 12, will be used to define hazardous traffic conditions, and transportation will be provided for elementary school students within one mirle if:

Crossing a tollway, state highway, and/or farm-to-market road
Crossing a moderate to heavily traveled thoroughfare without protected crossing (traffic light or stop sign)
Walking along a moderate to heavily traveled thoroughfare without a safe walk path
Crossing a railroad

Despite these criteria, parents like Gomez have reported an absence of crosswalks and a lack of traffic direction during the busy times of school pickups and drop-offs, leading to chaotic scenes.

"With everything that is going on in the world today, we have a lot of things to worry about outside of them, just being able to walk outside of school and make it home safely. This creates a real hazard," Gomez said.

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When asked about her message to the district given the additional hurdles faced by parents, Shanks expressed a desire for transparency. "I wish they could be just honest about things. If you’re going to say the kids are going to have access to bus service if they don’t meet the criteria, then stick true to that."

The transportation struggle has also impacted middle school students and their families. FOX 26 spoke with a parent at Bleyl Middle School, that uncovered the challenges she faces amid district-wide bus route cuts.

Jasmine Bennett, shared the lengths she has had to go to accommodate these changes. Bennett is a teacher at another school district and has to commute more than 30 minutes to work. "School doesn't start until 7:45 a.m. So I had to bring him to school at 6:15 a.m. and, battling traffic and getting back to that side of town just to pick him up, I didn't get there until about 5 o’clock," Bennett said.

The ongoing construction at Bleyl Middle School and the lack of sidewalks or safe streets for students to walk on are additional concerns for parents like Bennett.

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According to the Transportation Plan, a middle or high school student will be transported who lives two or more miles from the student's campus of regular attendance.

Crossing a tollway, state highway, and/or farm-to-market road
Crossing a four-lane or more, heavily traveled thoroughfare without protected crossing (traffic light or stop sign
Crossing a railroad track

Bennett received an email on July 31, informing her that school would start on Aug. 19 and that her child, living within the two-mile radius, was not eligible for transportation. Dissatisfied with the district's response to her weekly calls, Bennett expresses her disappointment, "Absolutely not, it’s unacceptable. Fix it. It's unacceptable. Parents have to work; I’m a teacher, so it’s unrealistic that you can believe that we can just change our schedules because of budget cuts."

High school students within two miles are eligible for transportation if: