PLANO, Texas – Parents in Plano ISD say they are concerned about the safety of their children getting to and from school after their bus route was eliminated.
The district says they are following state guidelines and being fiscally responsible.
Plano ISD bus route concerns 
This school year, Plano ISD eliminated several bus routes that it used to provide due to hazardous conditions. Parents who used to rely on the bus routes say it is putting kids at risk.
One such family lives at an apartment complex on K Avenue. The kids go to Barron Elementary School.
The district said new improvements by the City of Plano mean the route to get there is no longer hazardous.
What they’re saying:
Kiera Williams says while she can get her kids to school, she has to put her job on the line to be able to get them safely home.
“They deemed it safe because it has sidewalks, but it is not, because you can see these kids have to cross these major streets,” Williams said.
“They told me a bus was coming. I left my kid at school. They called me at 2:40 and said, ‘Oh sorry, I know you are at work, but there is no bus,’” Williams went on.
Another working mom, who is in a wheelchair, has a daughter in fourth grade at Plano ISD.
She says sidewalks don’t take away the potential for crime, voicing concerns about the places children would have to pass on foot to get to school.
“Right now there is someone sleeping at the pawn shop, a grown man. We have little girls, kids, every parent is very upset,” she said.
Alantria Luke is one parent who’s turning to carpooling as a partial solution.
“I saw three parents at the corner trying to figure out how they would drop their babies off at school. (I said) ‘get the kids in the car, I’ll take them to school,’” said Luke.
But Alantria says she has no way to help the kids get home because she is at work.
“If the bus would come, they would have a way home,” Luke said.
‘We have to be fiscally responsible’ 
The other side:
According to the school board work session agenda item, ending bus routes at five campuses that used to be considered hazardous is saving the district $1 million.
“Student safety is always paramount. However, we have to be fiscally responsible and look at it from a fiscal standpoint,” said Superintendent Dr. Theresa Williams.
School board members explained in the work session that they are following the state’s guidelines for bus routes.
“If anyone is concerned why didn’t we have a committee, our folks were measuring what is two miles. There was no opinion included,” one member said.
Another board member took a moment to thank school crossing guards.
“It is scary. Sometimes the speed limit is 40, but people speed.”
The school board member called on the community to help one another.
“There might be a need to call on friends and neighbors if your route is no longer considered hazardous.”
As for crossing guards, parents say Barron Elementary doesn’t have one.
Plano ISD’s superintendent said in a statement that the updates came after months of planning.
The school board approved the new plan unanimously after holding five meetings about the issue.
The Source: Information in this story came from Plano ISD and parents in the district.