HOUSTON — A severe budget deficit has caused Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (CFISD) to eliminate 79 bus routes for the 2024-2025 school year. The Board of Trustees confirmed the changes during their June 2024 meeting. According to the school district, the change to bus route service affects approximately 33,000 students.
CFISD is the third-largest school district in the state of Texas. Until this school year, it was the second-largest school district in Texas to offer bus service to all of its campuses, behind Dallas ISD.
According to the new transportation plan, bus service for elementary students who live one or more miles from the zoned campus will be offered. Middle and high school students will be transported to their zoned schools if they live two or more miles from their school.
According to the Texas Education Code, school districts must identify hazardous areas that are too dangerous for kids to walk to school and submit them to the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Within these areas dubbed too dangerous, kids within two miles of their zoned school are eligible for school bus service. If the TEA commissioner approves, school districts can receive an additional 10 percent of their regular transportation allotment to transport those students to school.
Online parents have been asking questions about changes. Here's what the KHOU 11 Verify Team has learned to help parents navigate the adjustments going into effect this school year.
THE SOURCES
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
Texas Education Agency
Texas Education Code
Office of Precinct 3 Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey
Office of Precinct 4 Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones
WHAT WE FOUND
1. Viewer Mandy asks: Will they (Cypress-Fairbanks ISD) provide crossing guards?
In an email response, a spokesperson for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD said the district will have crossing guards. The paid guards are trained by Cypress-Fairbanks Police Department, but the district is working on the amount of crossing guards that will be needed for each campus. The district is also working with campuses to identify the safest walking path for students, while also determining where students should enter onto campuses from.
CFISD also said police officers will continue to patrol the district and assist with campus traffic patterns to ensure students, faculty, staff and visitors remain safe.
2. Viewer Kyna asks: What actions are the school district, Harris County and the HOAs (Homeowners Associations) taking to ensure kids are safe walking to and from school?
CFISD said they are collaborating with some HOAs and MUDs along with Precincts 3 and 4 to identify solutions and additional resources to address concerns. The school district in an email response to questions also said, "Some neighborhood communities are exploring the possibility of increasing supervision at key intersections during arrival and dismissal times, in addition to adding more sidewalks."
The KHOU 11 Verify Team also asked Precinct 4 Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones' Office about any upgrades happening in the area to assist in the safety of getting kids to school. According to the infrastructure division, crews are installing sidewalks around Andre and Lieder Elementary Schools as a part of a previous development project.
KHOU 11 also touched base with Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey who said his office is working with the MUD districts for any potential studies on sidewalks that might be needed.
3. A Reddit User asks: Does anyone know if special needs buses follow these same rules?
According to the school district, the changes for the 2024-2025 bus routes do not impact students' "IEP eligibility"
You can find answers to frequently asked questions about the new transportation plan here.