Transportation to Angleton ISD's alternative campus halted, district's Board of Trustees announces

ANGLETON, Texas (KTRK) -- Parents with students heading back to CATS Academy in Angleton Independent School District in two weeks will need to figure out how they'll get their children to class for the rest of the school year.

The Board of Trustees announced last week that it decided the district would eventually phase out transportation provided to students enrolled at its alternative school.

According to the district's website, CATS stands for "changing attitudes to succeed," and the alternative school serves as the campus where students are sent for academic and behavioral interventions.

One parent whose son is returning to CATS in August agreed to speak to ABC13 under the condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation from administrators. She explained that her child relies on the school bus for transportation since they live too far for him to walk, and she cannot drive him herself.

"I work from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. I can't ask to leave at 1:45 p.m. to pick up my son and take him home. When I leave, it's a 15-minute drive to the school, a 15-minute drive to my house, and then another 15 minutes back to work. So that's an hour and a half that I would have to take out of my day," she said.

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On July 23, Angleton ISD's Board of Trustees approved a change in the upcoming school year's Student Code of Conduct. The change is that the district will no longer provide transportation to CATS students placed there for disciplinary reasons.

On the district's website, Superintendent Phil Edwards was quoted saying that their objective with the move is to place more responsibility on the students and parents when there is disciplinary action that has taken place.

The district did not answer questions from ABC13 about whether Edwards' statement about more responsibility meant more punishment, how many students this change will impact, or whether the decision has anything to do with Angleton ISD's budget.

The move drew criticism from parents, teachers, alumni, and community members who called the decision "cruel," "short-sighted," and "discriminatory."

"A lot of these kids have struggles at home. There are parents who are working two to three jobs and can't get them to school," one parent said to ABC13. "The superintendent's quote is asinine. You can't blame a parent entirely. Kids make mistakes, but they learn and move on. These kids need support more than anything."

Hanna Chalmers, Director of Public Relations for Angleton ISD, wrote in a statement to ABC13 that the change may go into effect later in the school year, which has yet to be determined. It would allow the district more time to communicate with families and allow parents more time to prepare for the change.

"The district will ensure students at CATS Academy get to school if there is a family that is truly in need of transportation assistance. As with all changes at AISD, the district continues to evaluate them and make necessary adjustments in the best interest of all AISD students," Chalmers wrote.

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