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Gatesville ISD board approves moving two bus stops off Highway 36 after near misses
Summary
The board approved relocating two rural bus stops that currently sit on Highway 36 after staff reported multiple illegal passes and a recent near-collision involving an 18-wheeler; trustees authorized staff to move the stops into community parking areas off the highway.
The Gatesville ISD Board approved a recommendation to relocate two school bus stops off Highway 36 and into safer community sites after staff recounted repeated illegal passes and a recent close call involving a commercial vehicle.
District staff described two Flat-area stops on Highway 36 that are on or near a blind hill and a short turn lane. Staff recounted a recent incident in which a driver passed a stopped school bus in the turn lane and had to brake hard to avoid a collision with a special-education bus; a staff member also reported an informal count that afternoon of 10 illegal passes of district buses.
The board was presented with two alternate locations in the Flat community: a parking area at First Baptist Community Church and a nearby large empty lot. Staff recommended moving one stop nearly two miles and the other just over half a mile off the highway to those community parking sites so students could board away from through traffic.
Trustees discussed the inconvenience to families and bus schedules but said safety took priority. A board member argued that the time students would spend waiting would be less risky than having them load or unload at the highway. The motion to move the stops carried after a trustee motion and second (motion and second were recorded on the floor); staff will notify affected families and adjust routes.
The district's transportation staff said moving the stops will require communication with families about new pickup times; the board instructed staff to return with logistics and notifications before the change is implemented.
