Round Rock ISD trustees cut bus routes

ROUND ROCK (KXAN) - The Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees made a decision Thursday night to eliminate some of the district's school bus routes.  The cuts affect so-called Hazardous Transportation routes.  Those routes provide bus service for children who live within two miles of their schools, but who may have to walk along or cross busy streets to reach campus.

Board members considered dropping bus routes in 21 areas.  The board held meetings to take public input.  After taking public comment again last night, the trustees decided to eliminate 17 of those routes.

Taking away those routes would mean roughly 2,400 children who live within two miles of their school, will have to walk to school or find another way there.  The district expects the cuts will save about 550-thousand dollars per year.

Trustees decided to continue four of the Hazardous Transportation routes.  Those routes include some students living near McNeil Road, parts of Spicewood Springs, and the area south of Anderson Mill Road.   "The trustees just didn't feel comfortable with kids walking to school in those areas," said Round Rock ISD Community Relations Director JoyLynn Occhiuzzi.  Cutting those routes could have saved the district an additional 150-thousand dollars per year.

Thirteen of the routes will be cut in the 2009-2010 school year.  The other four routes affect students who will attend schools that are currently under construction and expected to open for the 2010-2011 school year.

Round Rock ISD provided this list of the school bus routes that will be eliminated:

Berkman -- Downtown --2009-2010
Caraway --Southeast of Spicewood Springs --2009-2010
Forest North --International Residence Apartments --2009-2010
Gattis -- Bradford Park area -- 2009-2010
Laurel Mountain -- Southeast of Spicewood Springs -- 2009-2010
Live Oak -- Osborne area -- 2009-2010
Old Town -- Sommerset area -- 2009-2010
Spicewood -- Centennial area -- 2009-2010
Spicewood -- Topridge area -- 2009-2010
Voigt -- South of Gattis School Rd. -- 2009-2010
Wells Branch -- Shoreline area -- 2009-2010
Deerpark -- East along Anderson Mill Rd. -- 2009-2010
Ridgeview -- Bradford Park area -- 2009-2010
Elementary in Stone Oak subdivision -- Stone Oak & Mayfield Ranch -- 2010-2011
Middle School #10 -- Area north of Hwy 79 -- 2010-2011
Cedar Ridge -- Area north of Hwy 45 -- 2010-2011
Cedar Ridge -- Area along Gattis School Rd. -- 2010-2011

The Board voted to continue hazardous transportation bus route services for the following areas:

Jollyville -- Millwood south of McNeil Rd.
Canyon Vista -- East of Spicewood Springs
Canyon Vista -- West of Spicewood Springs
Westwood --Area south of Anderson Mill Rd.