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

CYPRESS, Texas (KTRK) -- Monday is the first day of school for more than 118,000 students in the Houston area's second-largest district, Cy-Fair ISD.

Due to dozens of bus route cuts, many families have had to make changes to find a new way to get their kids to school.

Transportation for most students is not a required service for a public school districts, but there's no question that since it's been offered, parents have come to rely on it, making this change tough for many families.

ABC13 reporter Courtney Carpenter spoke to parents as they were sitting in traffic on Monday, trying to get to school.

Throughout the morning traffic was a nightmare in the area near Telge and Cypress North Houston. Some parents told Courtney it took around an hour to drop their kids off, and many think the congestion has something to do with the district bus route cuts.

"We got over here at 7:15 a.m. and we just dropped our kid off... but yeah, an hour in the line," parent Shelby Cline said. "At the middle school, they are having them practically get out at the light there, out of your cars, and just run up to the school. And it's still out of hand."

You may expect the first few days of school traffic to be rough, but Monday was more than what many Cy-Fair ISD parents bargained for.

"We've been on the road for about 45 minutes," parent Jeff Atkinson said in the Arnold Middle School drop-off line.

"I left our house in Ravensway at like 7:10 a.m. and everyone on this road is like cutting people in line. It's a whole mess," parent Kim Henry said.

Some of the extra cars are on the road because of the 79 bus route cuts the district made to save money.

That's why Ibeth was in the line on Monday morning. Her daughter's route is one that got cut.

"We depended on the buses, so I don't know how people are going to do it since they have to go to work," Ibeth told Courtney. "It's insane. I would never let my daughter just walk around this street. It's busy. I don't know. They just didn't think this through."

The district said the decision comes down to money. Cy-Fair ISD is facing a nearly $140 million budget shortfall. Cutting 79 bus routes saves them about $4.8 million, which the district says equates to about 75 teacher positions.

Cy-Fair ISD said the goal was for the cuts to not be felt in the classroom, but the bus route cuts are forcing families to make big changes.

One woman who spoke to ABC13 said her 12-year-old daughter now has a 1.9-mile walk to Arnold Middle School along a busy road without sidewalks.

The mom said she turned down three job offers in order to work remotely because she feels the only safe option is to take her daughter to school herself.

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

At last week's board meeting, trustees said it was a tough decision to make.

"I want to say that I regret voting for this portion of our budget and I humbly apologize to our Cy-Fair families," Trustee Christine Kalmbach said.

"Again, I am truly sorry for those negatively impacted by these changes," Trustee Todd LeCompte said.

The district said most elementary school campuses will have a designated crosswalk at their main entrance, and training is available for neighborhoods interested in organizing volunteers to monitor other intersections.

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