Cy-Fair ISD Restarts School Bus Routes After Safety Concerns and Budget Cuts

Resumption of Bus Routes

• 🚌 Cy-Fair ISD is reinstating 16 school bus routes starting Monday, a significant change from last year's budget-driven cuts.
• 💡 This decision is viewed by some as a crucial step towards improving student safety.

Previous Route Restrictions

• ⚠️ Last June, the district limited bus eligibility due to budget constraints, requiring elementary students to live at least one mile away and middle/high schoolers two miles away.
• 📉 These cuts affected nearly 30,000 students, impacting their access to safe transportation.

Student Safety Concerns

• 🚗 In the months following the cuts, there were multiple reports of students being injured by vehicles while walking or biking to school.
• 📌 Parents expressed relief that the restored routes will reduce the risk of such accidents, even with only a few weeks left in the school year.

Ongoing Challenges and Future Plans

• ❓ Some families, like Jared Hostler's, did not have their routes returned, leading to uncertainty about next year's transportation plans.
• 💰 Cy-Fair ISD cited a pay increase for bus drivers, from $19.19 to $23 an hour, approved last November, as a key factor in bringing back routes.
• 📈 There is hope that further applications will lead to more routes being reinstated, though significant work remains.

Important Reminders for Parents

• 📱 Parents of students whose routes are returning are advised to link their accounts to the My Ride K through 12 app.
• 🆔 Students will need to present their ID badge for bus access.