PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — As Pasco County families get ready for back-to-school, some students are still without a bus.

What You Need To Know

  • Some Pasco County families are concerned about students crossing busy roads to get to and from school

  • Pasco County Schools ended “courtesy” bus routes for middle and high schoolers that live within two miles of their campus at the start of last year

  • An ongoing bus driver shortage, affecting many school systems, was cited as the reason

  • School officials say the state does not provide transportation funding for students within two miles of school

Pasco County Schools ended bus routes for middle and high schoolers that live within two miles of their campus at the start of last school year. Officials cited an ongoing bus driver shortage, affecting many school systems, as the reason.

Tammie Swartzbeck’s son Jacob attends Gulf High School in New Port Richey. She says they live 1.9 miles away, just under that 2-mile limit for a bus.

He used to have a bus until last school year. Now if he were to walk or bike to school, he’d have to cross six lanes of traffic on busy State Road 54.

“It’s not that I’m worried about him being mature enough to cross,” Swartzbeck said. “It’s the drivers. Drivers don’t pay attention. They’re on their way to work. It’s barely light outside.”

She says she’s had to make time to drive her son to school every day to keep him safe.  

“More parents started carpooling, driving their kids, or getting their kids’ licenses earlier because they felt safer in a car,” Swartzbeck said.

She’d like to see the bus routes return or more support from the school system, like a crossing guard.

Betsy Kuhn, Assist. Superintendent for Support Services, said in an email to Spectrum News that Pasco Schools would “not ever indicate that a student should walk or cross 54 or [US] 19. But rather that the state does not provide funding for students living within two miles of their school based on the belief that within two miles is a reasonable distance for families to plan their own transportation to school.”

Pasco County Schools referred to these bus routes under two miles as courtesy routes. This year Kuhn says a smaller number of elementary courtesy routes were also ended this year. Those families were told in March.

Swartzbeck says she still worries about students who aren’t able to get a ride.

“I’m not going to let my kid be the statistic,” Swartzbeck said. “It’s that we really need? A statistic to get the state and school to come together to make this safe.”