ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 As Orange County Public Schools moves forward with plans to close seven schools, some families say they are facing uncertainty over how their children will get to class.<\/p>\n
The changes have raised questions for parents, particularly those deciding whether to keep their children at their current school through a grandfathering option or move them to a newly rezoned campus.<\/p>\n
Amanda Grace Pozo, a parent with children at East Lake Elementary, said transportation quickly became her biggest concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith that happening, there\u2019s almost 200 Eastlake students that are getting now rezone to Columbia,\u201d Pozo said. \u201cAnd the reason that I reached out is because I found out \u2026 there are going to be Eastlake students who are no longer going to have bus transportation. My children are going to be affected by that, along with many, many other children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under district policy, students who live within two miles of their assigned school are typically not eligible for bus transportation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s as plain as if you\u2019re going to Columbia and you\u2019re under 2 miles, you get no bus,\u201d Pozo said. \u201cIf you\u2019re taking advantage of the grandfathering at East Lake, then there is no bus.\u201d<\/p>\n
When a parent accepts the grandfather program the district would not provide buses, according to OCPS. <\/p>\n