Pearland I.S.D. Stop the School Bus Fee

If you live within two miles of a school in Pearland there is a $45.00 monthly fee. Do the School District, City of Pearland, and/or School Board expect the children of parents that cannot afford the fee to walk to school?

Pearland I.S.D. Stop the School Bus Fee
With no safe routes for children to walk to their schools, no crossing guards and most will have to cross FM 518. FM 518 is an extremely busy street and does not have a sidewalk for children to walk on, not that many parents want to consider letting or having to have their child walk to school.

Is this a School Board issue?
Is this a State of Texas issue?

I have done some research and the problem does start with the State of Texas.


Texas Education Code:
Which can be found:
http://www.cbisd.com/transportation/page0010.html

42.155. TRANSPORTATION ALLOTMENT.
(a) Each district or county operating a transportation system is entitled to allotments for transportation costs as provided by this section.
(b) As used in this section:
(1) "Regular eligible student" means a student who resides two or more miles from the student's campus of regular attendance, measured along the shortest route that may be traveled on public roads, and who is not classified as a student eligible for special education services.

In defense of State of Texas this code was written in the dark ages, when it was safe for children to walk to school two miles barefoot in the snow. Clearly this code is out dated and needs to be changed; schools should be reimbursed for each and every child it provides transportation for. However, I do not understand how a school district is charging parents to take children to and from school on some of the very roads that Friendswood I.S.D. has deemed unsafe for their children. Friendswood I.S.D. picks up every child even if they live across the street from their school.

The code states that Pearland .I.S.D. has options.

(d) A district or county may apply for and on approval of the commissioner receive an additional amount of up to 10 percent of regular transportation allotment to be used for the transportation of children living within 2 miles of the school they attend who would be subject to hazardous traffic conditions if they walked to school. Each board of trustees shall provide to the commissioner the definition of hazardous conditions applicable to that district and shall identify the specific hazardous areas for which the allocation is requested. A hazardous condition exists where no walkway is provided and children must walk along or cross a freeway or expressway, an underpass, an overpass or a bridge, uncontrolled major traffic artery, an industrial or commercial area, or another comparable condition.

What is Pearland I.S.D.s definition of a hazardous condition?
Is FM 518 not hazardous to our children?
According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center, approximately 2,000 children (under age 18) are reported missing each day. Do you want your child walking to school? Do we want any child to have to walk to school?

Sex Offender list for our area:
https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/soSearch/soResults.cfm?search_ZipCode=77581

https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/soSearch/soResults.cfm?search_ZipCode=77584

If there are any other parents out there that would like to see this code changed or find out why Pearland I.S.D. thinks it is necessary to charge parents a $45-65 monthly fee to have the children, of parents that work, get to and from their schools safely please sign our Petition and together we can make a difference.

"Many people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could."
-- Anonymous