Students in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) have experienced delays and issues with bus services as the new school year begins. Click2Houston reported that a fifth grader named Khloe, who is hard-of-hearing, was without a bus for more than two weeks before finally being assigned a route. The issue was resolved after media attention, according to her godmother, Tisha McCullough.
Other HISD families have faced similar challenges. Shunneisha Pierre said her daughter’s bus stop for Black Middle School’s magnet program was moved 15 miles from its original location, exceeding the district’s policy that requires zoned students to have stops within two miles and magnet students within three miles. Another parent, Brianna Van Borssum, reported her son’s new pick-up point was on the Sam Houston Parkway, a high-traffic area. HISD Superintendent Mike Miles acknowledged that routing issues will take time to resolve, KHOU reported.
HISD increased bus routes from 450 to over 500 but acknowledged some stops may have changed. The district issued a statement saying changes are intended to provide more efficient and reliable service, while efforts to address operational challenges continue.
