Cy-Fair ISD parents grow concerned for students' safety after 3 auto-pedestrian crashes

CYPRESS, Texas (KTRK) -- Safety concerns are growing for Cy-Fair ISD parents after three students were hit in separate auto-pedestrian crashes last week while walking or biking to school.

The incidents come after the district cut several school bus routes at the beginning of the school year due to a budget deficit.

Back in August, ABC13 reported that the district cut 79 bus routes, which saved them $4.8 million and equates to about 75 teacher positions. District officials said the goal was for the cuts not to be felt in the classroom, although some parents said it's put them in difficult predicaments.

Jared Hostetler, who has two children in Cy-Fair ISD, has been attending board meetings with other parents to advocate for the restoration of eliminated school bus routes. He created the Facebook group CFISD Parents for Bus Transportation and School Funding, which has about 1,800 members.

Hostetler said they told district officials at board meetings that it was only a "matter of time" before a student got hurt.

"One of my children's school bus routes was cut, and we found out only 18 days before school started," Hostetler said. "I went to the board meeting last month. I told them about two instances where I was riding my bike with my daughter to school, and we almost got hit by a car."

RELATED: Parents confront Cy-Fair ISD Board about bus route cuts, trustees apologize for drastic changes

In a letter sent to parents Wednesday, officials with McGown Elementary School said one of their students was hit by a moving car while walking to school around 8 a.m.

Then on Thursday, a similar letter was sent out from Smith Middle School about a student biking to school who was hit around 7:34 a.m.

Parents told ABC13 that a third student was hit Friday morning while walking to school near Truitt Middle School, but no official letter or statement was sent out by district or school officials.

"I feel so sad for the kids that had to go through this. They're probably going to be scarred for life. I feel very disheartened in this day and age," Hostetler said. "I don't feel like the district has done very much to explore other alternatives. It feels like they just cut the budget for the bus and moved on."

Late Friday afternoon, Cy-Fair ISD sent out a letter to parents encouraging them to go over safety tips with their children about walking or biking near traffic, crossing the street, and staying off their cell phones. The statement came off as insensitive to some parents.

"I was really surprised that they weren't taking any accountability themselves, and they're putting it off on the parents and their kids to get their act together. The district should've said that this was a knee-jerk reaction, and it wasn't very well thought out," Hostetler said.

State law does not require districts to provide transportation, but Hostetler said officials still have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their students.

"There's a civic duty. But then, there's civic responsibility. I think the district owes it to the citizens they represent to understand that it may be one or two miles, but it's really dangerous. You can't say you're meeting the law requirement but not maintaining your civic responsibility to the community," Hostetler said.

READ MORE: Cy-Fair ISD parents get stuck in traffic as district returns without 79 bus routes

In a statement to ABC13, a spokesperson for Cy-Fair ISD wrote in part, "We urge all drivers to exercise extreme caution around school zones or in neighborhoods where students walk or bike to and from school. With an initially projected $138 million budget deficit for 2024-2025, reducing transportation services was a difficult decision necessary to prevent further reductions in staff at the campus level. There is minimal state reimbursement for providing transportation services to students living within two miles of a campus."

The district said it will be partnering with law enforcement to increase patrols and issue tickets to anyone driving dangerously. Hostetler fears it might not be enough.

"I really hope no one gets killed," he said.

For more on this story, follow Rosie Nguyen on Facebook, X and Instagram.