Budget Cuts Mean Bus Route Troubles

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -  

Budget Cuts Mean Bus Route Troubles

Some parents are angry over changes to the busing service.

Budget troubles forced Memphis City Schools to make some big cuts to the budget. $6.5 million was slashed from transportation, leaving many parents very upset.

On Seven Valley Drive in Hickory Hill, there are quite a few angry mothers. They are not happy about the changes in the bus service provided by Memphis City Schools.

"We don't have any bus service over here, period," says parent Ronza Jones. "That's not right."

Jones has a kindergartner and a 4th grader at Ross Elementary School. She says the 1.2 miles to Ross is too far to walk.

Parent Hannah Davis has a second grader; she won't let him walk either.

"These days there's no telling, someone could molest them," says Davis. "It's difficult."

So Davis and Jones will drive their kids every day.

A cut back in bus service is part of Memphis City Schools attempt to slash the budget. About 40 percent of bus routes were affected.

MCS officials remind parents they are not required to provide service at all, except for special needs students. Bus service is merely a courtesy.

A few blocks down from Ross, Principal Roy Stone uses a homemade stop sign to walk the kids safely across Shelby Drive. He says knowing busing changes would mean more walkers, he requested a crossing guard, but hasn't heard back yet from the Memphis Police Department.

"I'm sure with the changes in the transportation there's a lot of requests for crossing guards," says Stone.

He says he will direct traffic every morning and afternoon. He wants parents and kids to feel safe.

"It is dangerous to come across Shelby Drive," says Jones. "That is a dangerous intersection for these kids to be walking, riding their bikes to get across the street."

The Memphis City School policy has always been to provide bus service only to students who live more than a mile and a half from school. The only thing that has changed this year is enforcing that policy.