Houston ISD says 700 students are still being assigned bus stops on the 1st day of school

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Monday marked the first day of school for the largest school district in Texas -- Houston ISD.

On Sunday evening, the district said it was still working to assign bus routes for around 700 students.

HISD said students who have not been assigned a route may get on a bus at any stop or route that is for their campus.

The district said bus drivers were told to pick students up and drop them off, even if they were not assigned to a route or stop.

Parents were told to call one of HISD's transportation services helplines by 7 p.m. for bus route assistance. The district reportedly reached out to all impacted families.



The Transportation Customer Service main phone number is 713-556-5963.

You can also contact specific terminals at the following numbers.

Barnett Terminal
713-845-5022

Butler Terminal
713-726-2100

Central Terminal
713-676-9432

Northwest Terminal
713-613-3049

The district says it expects "all students to be assigned a permanent stop within 72 hours of their entry into the transportation assignment system."



Transportation is not the only test the district is hoping to pass to start the school year.

SEE ALSO: Parent on HISD letting volunteers clear storm damage: 'That's just lazy'


Last week at Marshall Middle School, volunteers were cleaning up debris around the campus from Hurricane Beryl.



A downed light pole revealed wires right next to a common area shared by the school and the public library. CenterPoint and 311 were contacted.

At Sinclair Elementary School, SkyEye video from just days before the first day of school showed damage and debris from the derecho storm and Beryl.

Last week, HISD said they expected the work at all campuses to be finished by the first day of class.

Watch: 'Safe Walk Home' kicks off new school year for Houston ISD


Meanwhile, students at Marshall Middle School received support under "Safe Walk Home," a volunteer-based group started after 11-year-old Josue Flores was stabbed to death walking home from the school in 2016.



The group helps students get to and from school safely.

"It's very important. I think it shows a sign of support and solidarity that the community, other public safety officials are here to wish them a good year, a successful school year," said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

The group also lined up to encourage students as they walked to the front doors, greeting them with supplies and snacks.

"It matters. It matters a lot not just to the children, but to the parents," said Trinidad Castillo, whose grandson attentions Marshall. "It lets the community know that they matter, especially on the northside, because often times neighborhoods like this get overlooked."

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RELATED: School cleanup efforts looks to be prioritized before HISD classes are set to begin on Aug. 12