Spring ISD approves changes to school bus transportation policy

SPRING, TX (KTRK) -- Hundreds of students in Spring ISD will soon have a chance to catch a bus to get to school. The district is changing its policy about which students it picks up and drops off.

Some parents are thrilled that the Spring ISD school board approved those changes. With the purchase of 20 more school buses, 80 students at Winship Elementary and hundreds more throughout the district who currently have to walk or get dropped off would be able to ride the bus.

"I spend almost an hour every day just driving back and forth to pick up my kids from elementary school, and that really has an impact on our family over time," said parent Anne Billings.

Spring ISD School Board President Rhonda Faust told Eyewitness News, "The community has made it very clear to us, the board and the administration agree, that we all believe that safety and transportation is a very important issue in our district."

The transportation expansion allows bus service to students who live within a mile and a half of their school. This is a bounce back of sorts from 2011 budget cuts that forced them to push that distance to two miles to cut costs.

The move will cost the district $3.6 million, but would serve an additional 2,000 students. That includes 384 additional bus riders at Booker Elementary, 206 more at Bammel Middle School, and 138 more at Dekaney High. The money for transportation will come out of the general fund.