Things will look different as Houston-area students return to school this year.
With local districts facing more than $850 million in budget shortfalls, districts are making substantial cuts to staffing and services, and Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District’s Board of Trustees heard about it from parents Monday night.
“Somebody’s gotta do something,” Rorie Porter said.
“Please reconsider,” said Amanda Pallanez. “Lives are at great risk.”
ABC13 visited Arnold Middle School on Monday after Pallanez reached out.
The district cut her 12-year-old daughter’s bus route, meaning she would have to walk 1.9 miles to the school. Most of the route has no sidewalk and weaves along busy roadways lined with drainage ditches.
SEE ALSO: Cy-Fair ISD will cut more than half of librarian positions due to $138 million budget deficit
The bus route is one of 79 the district cut this school year, chipping away $4.8 million of its approximately $140 million deficit. The routes eliminated were those not required by law. State law requires districts to provide transportation for students who live more than 2 miles away from school.