CONROE, Texas — Conroe ISD parents are raising concerns about the district’s bus policies.
The outcry follows reports of four children who have been dropped off at the wrong bus stop within a week. Three of the children are elementary school age. The fourth is an intermediate school student.
The district says it’s taking measures to ensure this doesn't happen again.
One parent says it's a shame that it took what could have been a tragedy for changes to be made.
"Around 4:10, the bus came, and everybody gets got off and my kid wasn't there," said CISD parent Ravi Shrestha. "With the other neighbors' help I went to make another circle try to him we couldn't find him and that's when I called 911 because I couldn't take any steps to find him by myself."
Shrestha says his 8-year-old son, a student at San Jacinto Elementary was let off at the wrong bus stop.
"He got lost, he was tired, frustrated and the bag was heavy, so he started dragging the bag," Shrestha said. "When he came home, the bag was all torn up and his shoes all drenched socks wet."
The district policies say all Pre-K and first-grade students may only be released at a stop if there is an adult waiting for them.
Shrestha says the district needs to re-evaluate safety practices.
"Yes, it is crazy because it was frightening for us as soon as we knew he wasn't there," he said.
Another parent said her 10-year-old daughter, a student at Cox Intermediate, was left at the wrong stop twice.
"She told me that the bus driver was frustrated with her and told her she didn't know where her stop was and she needed to get off the bus," said parent Amber Koon. "She’s sweaty, she's upset she doesn't even want to ride the bus anymore."
Conroe ISD told KHOU 11 it's “planning to implement a new transportation badge system that will allow caregivers to see when their student scans off and on the bus in the coming months.”
Shrestha feels this policy should have already been put in place.
"I think that is one of the measures that needs to be taken right now away something that the district needs to do ASAP," he said.
The district says one of the parents has filed a complaint with CISD Police Department. They say the investigation is ongoing.
The district also told KHOU 11 that it's experiencing a bus driver shortage with more than 50 openings to cover the district's nearly 400 bus routes.
CISD's full statement to KHOU 11 can be read below:
"The safe transportation of students to and from school is of the utmost importance. Employees are trained on protocols and procedures continually to ensure each child makes it home safely every day. Whenever protocols and processes are not followed, a series of actions may be taken including retraining, reassignment, or actions involving Human Resources.
"Conroe ISD has approximately 55,000 students registered for bus service with an average of 38,000 riding each day. At the beginning of the year, our Transportation Department adjusts routes daily to respond to the unique ridership demands of each route. With the possibility of such significant fluctuations in ridership numbers, routes may be combined or extended in response to the ridership patterns. Of our 381 routes, over 50 are currently open. When routes are not covered by a designated driver, substitute drivers, much like a substitute teacher would cover a classroom, assist along with Transportation office staff and mechanics who have the appropriate license. All of this results in a learning curve for those new to the route or area. We do have 25 drivers in various stages of the hiring and training process and will continue hiring until all routes are covered. Over the past few years, we have increased the hourly rate for bus drivers to $19 an hour and increased drivers’ work schedule to 7 hours per day. Bus drivers along with other District employees will receive a $500 retention stipend in the fall semester and a $1,000 retention stipend in the spring semester.
"Driving a bus is a challenging but essential and rewarding service for our community in supporting the education of all children. We are excited about implementing a new badge system to enhance the information available to parents beginning in the Spring 2023 semester."