NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. – Parents in North Fort Myers learned Wednesday that the Lee County School District had denied their request to restore certain bus stops.
Parents told Colton Chavez, Fox 4’s community correspondent in North Fort Myers, that bus stops have been eliminated this year for families living within two miles of their school.
The school district said:
“Students who reside more than two (2) miles from their home school are eligible for district-provided bus transportation. Students who attend a school outside of their home school district are not eligible for district-provided transportation.”
Watch Colton’s full story here:
Families denied request for school bus stop in North Fort Myers
Kathy Shimko, whose grandchildren attend the North Fort Myers Academy for The Arts, said her walk home would be dangerous for anyone – especially a 10-year-old child.
“Okay, walk a mile and a half to school…yeah, no,” Shimko said.
You can read the whole story here.
On Wednesday, Colton reached out to the Lee County School District to request more information about the decision not to reopen bus stops for these families.
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the Lee County School District did not elaborate on the reasons for the decision, saying only:
“After a thorough investigation and review of information provided by the school and parents, the school district has decided to continue to follow school policy and not provide transportation for students who live within two miles of the school.”
Lee County School District
The next step for parents who remain concerned is to request a hearing before the Transportation Review Committee.
Parents can learn more about how to request this hearing here.
