Students may face walking to school

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) - The Round Rock Independent School district is considering eliminating some of its bus routes for students that live within 2 miles of their school. This news is not sitting well with some parents who said their children would have a dangerous walk to school without the bus.

On most mornings AJ Glenn, 10, will take the bus to Jollyville Elementary School. While the walk through the neighborhood is relatively traffic-free, that ends at McNeil Road. Just seconds after the crossing light flashes, the red hand goes up, and McNeil Road is a big concern for parents, since the district is re-evaluating certain bus routes now that some areas that were once labeled hazardous may no longer be considered as such.

"When we talk about hazardous transportation routes, that means you live within the 2-mile radius, and your route to school has been deemed hazardous," said JoyLynn Occhiuzzi, community relations with the RRISD.

A hazardous route means there are no sidewalks, crosswalks or traffic lights, and that is when the school district deems bus routes necessary for those students living within 2 miles of the school.

"Periodically, we have to review those routes because subdivisions change, neighborhoods build out, sidewalks get put in and lights go up, so we have to evaluate which routes are no longer necessary," said Occhiuzzi.

The district is looking at eliminating bus routes at 17 schools, which totals a savings of $700,000.Occhiuzzi said if the bus route is eliminated for students like Glenn, the traffic signals on McNeil Road would be fixed.

"It's a matter of us working with the city and county to make sure the timing is correct, but if you have the equipment you can make it work," said Occhiuzzi.

Plus, a crossing guard would be added. As of right now, all of the changes are just in the proposal phase.

Wednesday night the school board is holding a workshop to learn more about the bus routes that are being re-evaluated. It happens at 6:30 p.m., and while the public is invited, there will be no public comment.

The school board will take public comment Thursday beginning at 7:30 p.m. before the board votes. Both meetings are planned for the Round Rock High School Lecture Hall.