LISD students who live 2 or more miles from campus qualify for bus transportation. Those who live less than 2 miles from their campus must provide their own transportation unless their route to school is graded as a hazardous walking route. In those cases, students are eligible for bus transportation. Due to changing hazards, such as building and road construction, LISD annually assesses routes within the 2-mile radius.
On Oct. 17, trustees approved a new hazardous route scoring matrix that makes it harder for neighborhoods to qualify. Shaun Cranston, a volunteer on the hazardous routes committee, said at the Oct. 17 trustees meeting that the new matrix is more detailed, assessing “more hazards that were not looked at before” while offering “a better definition of what hazards were.” The committee has also pulled from hazardous routes grading systems used by nearby school districts, he said.
At the March 12 meeting, LISD estimated that 459 students would lose bus service, an increase from the original projection. That final number will go down slightly as two areas were moved to the eligible list since the issue was last discussed March 12, according to LISD documents.
Trustees are scheduled to discuss the list at their May 14 agenda review meeting and then vote at their May 21 regular meeting, according to LISD documents.
No longer eligible
These 24 areas were eligible for bus service during 2019-20 but are not eligible for transportation due to either the new scoring matrix or safety improvements along the route to school:
- to and from Akin Elementary School for students living in the Catalina Ranch subdivision;
- to and from Camacho Elementary School for students living along Mason Street, Brentwood Drive, Teal Lane and Northern Trail in the Mason Creek subdivision;
- to and from Camacho Elementary School for students living within the Trails at Leander and Magnolia Creek subdivisions;
- to and from Naumann Elementary School for students living within the Shenandoah subdivision;
- to and from Plain Elementary School for students living within the Benbrook Ranch subdivision north of Halsey;
- to and from Pleasant Hill Elementary School for students living within the Leander Crossing subdivision;
- to and from River Place Elementary School for students living on River Place Boulevard and Big View Drive in the River Place subdivision;
- to and from Steiner Ranch Elementary School for students living within Meritage Apartments;
- to and from Steiner Ranch Elementary School for students living within the Tacara Steiner Ranch Apartments;
- to and from Steiner Ranch Elementary School for students living within the Estates at Westridge subdivision;
- to and from Westside Elementary School for students living within the Westside at Buttercup Creek subdivision;
- to and from Westside Elementary School for students living within the Ranch at Cypress Creek subdivision;
- to and from Whitestone Elementary School for students living within the Mason Hills and Connelly’s Crossing subdivisions;
- to and from Canyon Ridge Middle School for students living within Plateau, Mesa North and Rocky Ridge subdivisions;
- to and from Canyon Ridge Middle School for students living within the Headlands subdivision;
- to and from Canyon Ridge Middle School for students on Woodland Hills Trail, Fairways Cove Road, University Club Drive and Old Course Drive;
- to and from Canyon Ridge Middle School for students living within the Belcara Monterrey subdivision;
- to and from Cedar Park Middle School for students living in the Westside Preserve subdivision;
- to and from Henry Middle School for students living within the Forest Oaks South subdivision;
- to and from Stiles Middle School for students living within the Catalina Ranch subdivision;
- to and from Stiles Middle School for students living within the Parkside at Mayfield neighborhood while ensuring a crossing guard is present at CR 175;
- to and from Cedar Park High School for students living within the Cypress Canyon subdivision;
- to and from Glenn High School for students living within the Benbrook Ranch subdivision; and
- to and from Glenn High School for students living within the Benbrook Ranch North subdivision.
These 18 areas within 2 miles of schools received bus service during the 2019-20 school year and will continue to receive service under the new hazardous routes matrix in 2020-21:
- students living in the Twin Creeks neighborhood to and from Cypress Elementary due to the lack of a school zone and high traffic density on Anderson Mill Road for elementary students;
- students living in the Bella Vista neighborhood to and from Cypress Elementary due to the lack of a school zone and high traffic density on Anderson Mill Road for elementary students;
- students living in the Volente neighborhood to and from Cypress Elementary due to the lack of a school zone and high traffic density on Anderson Mill Road for elementary students;
- students living in the Whitetail neighborhood to and from Parkside Elementary due to the lack of safe walking path along Patricia Road, Deer Draw Road and CR 176;
- students living in the River Ridge neighborhood to and from River Ridge Elementary due to the lack of a continuous, safe walking path on Quinlan Park Road;
- students living in the Bell at Steiner Apartments to and from Steiner Ranch Elementary due to the lack of a continuous, safe walking path on Steiner Ranch Boulevard;
- students living within the West Park Estates and Oakmont Forest subdivisions to and from Westside Elementary School (added after March 12 discussion);
- students living in the Fairways, Caprock, Mira Vista, Palos Vista and Old Quarry area to and from Whitestone Elementary due to the lack of a continuous, safe walking path on Crystal Falls Parkway;
- students living in the Valley of Eastridge to and from Canyon Ridge Middle School due to the lack of a continuous, safe walking path to cross Quinlan Park Road;
- students living in the Creek Meadows subdivision to and from Stiles Middle School due to the lack of a continuous, safe walking path on CR 175;
- students living within the Parkside at Mayfield Ranch subdivision, north of Parkside Parkway, and attending Stiles Middle School (added after March 12 discussion);
- students living in the Ridgmar Landing, Stewart Crossing subdivisions and the Park at Crystal Falls Apartments to and from Wiley Middle School due to construction scheduled along Raider Way and Woodview Drive;
- students living in the Cold Springs and Hazelwood neighborhood to and from Wiley Middle School due to construction scheduled along Raider Way and Woodview Drive;
- students living in the Enclave at Maya Vista and Oak Creek neighborhoods to and from Glenn High School due to the lack of a continuous, safe walking path on San Gabriel Parkway;
- students living in the Country Glen subdivision to and from Leander High School due to the lack of continuous, safe walk path on Bagdad Road;
- students living on Sedona Road, Phantom Horse Road and Shawnee Road to and from Leander High School due to the lack of continuous, safe walk path along Crystal Falls Parkway;
- students living in the Cold Springs and Hazelwood neighborhoods to and from Rouse High School due to construction scheduled to begin along Raider Way and Woodview Drive; and
- students living in the Park at Crystal Falls Apartments to and from Rouse High School due to construction scheduled to begin along Raider Way.
