HOUSTON — A Houston mother is asking for help after she said the Houston Independent School District changed her children’s bus stop, forcing them to walk nearly two miles each morning along a route she said is dangerous and unsafe, especially for her teenage daughter with autism.
“My kids’ education is very important,” the mother said, asking KHOU 11 not to use her name for safety reasons.
Her three children attend HISD magnet schools, which means their campuses are outside their regular attendance zones. Previously, the district provided bus service to and from a pickup location near Francis Scott Key Middle School in northeast Houston.
“When I called, they told me the bus would no longer be picking up here,” she said. “They took the stop away.”
The new designated pickup location is outside Kashmere High School, nearly two miles from the family’s home. She said the walk includes several busy intersections, a large bridge with speeding traffic, and train tracks that the children must cross to get to the new stop.
“It’s not fair,” she said.
Her main concern is her 16-year-old daughter, who lives with autism and may struggle to navigate the dangerous route safely.
The mother said she reached out to HISD for help, but was initially told the district could not make exceptions.
A district spokesperson confirmed to KHOU 11 that HISD’s entire transportation system was recently overhauled to better align with student enrollment patterns. The spokesperson said the district could not accommodate individual route changes.
However, after KHOU 11 reached out to the district, the mother said a district representative later called her directly, giving her hope that a solution might still be possible.
KHOU 11 will continue to follow this story and update if HISD makes adjustments to the family’s route.
Got a news tip or story idea? Email us at newstips@khou.com or call 713-521-4310 and include your name and the best way to reach you.