Homeowners association asks district to move bus stop amid safety and gate-blocking concerns

A homeowner association representative asked the Seminole County school board to address the placement of a school bus stop that he said has been consolidated in front of his community’s main entrance, creating congestion and safety concerns.

Andre Klass, vice president of the Retreat at Twin Lakes Homeowners Association, said the stop is located at the community’s front gate on Oregon Avenue across from Altamonte/Bentley Elementary School. Klass told the board that students from neighboring complexes crowd a narrow sidewalk and sometimes step into the street. He also said cars picking up students have blocked the community entrance and that drivers have acted hostilely toward residents trying to enter or exit.

Klass said he had previously spoken to Vice Chair Garrick and asked the district for a follow-up before the start of the school year; the allotted public-comment time expired before he could finish his remarks. The board did not record a formal vote or a public staff response during the meeting; Klass provided contact information on the speaker form and requested follow-up.

Why this matters: Bus-stop placement can create immediate pedestrian-safety and traffic-access issues for neighborhoods near schools. Resolving such issues typically requires coordination between the district’s transportation office and local municipalities.

Discussion versus decision: The board received the complaint during public comment; no formal board action or staff directive was recorded in the meeting minutes. The speaker asked for follow-up from district transportation staff.

What to watch next: Whether district transportation staff contact the association to evaluate stop location and walk-route safety, and whether the district consults local traffic or law-enforcement authorities to adjust routing or pickup locations.