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Parents and staff press Clay County school leaders to reverse 2‑mile bus‑eligibility change over safety concerns
Summary
Multiple parents said last‑minute expansion of the bus ineligibility radius from 1.5 to 2 miles threatens student safety and disproportionately affects working families; the superintendent explained the district aligned with state statute, described exceptions and new tools to track buses.
Parents and educators urged the Clay County School Board to reconsider a recent change that extended the bus ineligibility radius from 1.5 miles to 2 miles, saying the adjustment poses safety and equity concerns as the new school year begins.
"This decision disproportionately affects our youngest students," said Dylan Hubbard, a parent, who said the change affects at least four schools (Southside Jennings, Ridgeview, Grove Park and another school he could not recall) and cited more than 50 registered sexual offenders within the two‑mile areas. "Asking children to possibly walk unaccompanied through neighborhoods where we know predators live is not just a policy oversight but a serious safety risk," Hubbard said.
Amber Joseph, also a parent, told the board the policy was announced three days after the last day of school and left families with little time to plan. "Now with school starting in just four days, many still have no idea what to expect or how to safely get their students to school," she said, adding that some students would be asked to walk 30 minutes or more in areas without sidewalks.
Superintendent David Broski responded that the district aligned its eligibility standard with state statute (a two‑mile radius) and described exceptions the district will make: children in VPK, students with Individualized Education Programs who receive special transportation, teen‑parent program participants and other statutorily protected categories. Broski said staff has completed more than 60 hazardous walking‑condition checks using a state checklist and that the district will provide transportation where the checklist indicates a hazardous walking condition under state law.
Broski also encouraged parents to use the district's new bus‑tracking app (the Chipmunk app) to get estimated arrival times and described "courtesy ridership" when seats are available after eligible riders are accommodated. He said about 13,000 students ride the bus in Clay County and warned that routes and pick‑up patterns may take two to three weeks to settle.
Residents also flagged localized problems. Helena Cormier, a Rolling Hills resident and CDD board member, urged the district to help after a privately owned bridge closure has made walking routes more hazardous for students in her neighborhood; she said she would continue to press the developer and local county officials to address the bridge.
Board members acknowledged the transportation challenges and asked for patience during the first weeks of school, while the district adjusts routes and processes.
