PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Some parents in Pasco County are reaching out to local leaders after the school district announced the end of courtesy busing next year for students who live within two miles of school. The change impacts nearly 3,000 middle and high schoolers. The service will still be in place for students in elementary school.
The major concern parents have is safety. They say many county roads don’t have adequate sidewalks, leaving their children without a safe route to school.
The change comes as the school district addresses bus drivers in Pasco County fighting for better pay as well as the ongoing shortage of drivers. Cutting courtesy routes, which are unfunded, is a cost-saving measure.
County leaders, fielding parent concerns, say they’re worried too. That’s why commissioners are working with the Metropolitan Planning Organization to fast-track sidewalk improvement projects. The problem is there’s nothing fast about it.
“These children are walking in the road. Someone is going to get hurt. We’re all saying the same thing. Time is not on our side,” Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said.
District 1 Commissioner Mike Moore says he’s heard from several parents. “This unfortunately has to happen now. Things have got to get moving.”
Fixing or building sidewalks is a process that takes years, and money. Some of the projects are slated for several million dollars. It means the county relies on federal funds, local grants or your tax dollars to make it happen.
With no immediate help for students next year, leaders suggest alternatives like carpooling or parents taking turns walking with students to class.
County leaders say they realize this leaves many parents and students in a bind, but with budget constraints, I’m told the reality is, with the way these projects go, some elementary school students will be old enough to drive by the time new sidewalks will be built.