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GARLAND (CBS11) – Hundreds of Garland elementary school students have a commute to school that may rival their parents.
Their bus ride to and from school takes 40 minutes each way.
Ten-year-old Juan Matamoros and his eight-year-old sister, Yanely live in central Garland and now go to Daugherty Elementary School.
But three years ago, they had to go to school all the way in Rowlett.
Juan says, “The only thing I didn’t like I was going home on the bus. It was really far away. We would get sleepy all the time.”
Garland ISD administrators say this has impacted about 300 students in the West Walnut area and central Garland each year for the past ten years.
Most of them are in bilingual and English As A Second Language programs, and because their neighborhood schools have no room, they’ve had to go to schools far away.
Now, administrators developed a plan to send those students to schools closer to home next year.
Babetta Hemphill, the district’s executive director of student services says, “We think we can halve the amount of time students are spending on the bus so we’ll be able to get them to school on time and for breakfast and take part in activities before school.”
But during a school board meeting in late October, school board members split the vote 3-3.
School board president Larry Glick opposed the plan because it requires all students to move to new schools.
Glick says the district should give third and fourth graders a choice of staying in their existing schools.
“After you attend school all that time, you have teachers, friends, the principal knows you, you’re very comfortable, and now we’re saying sorry, because of an administrative change, you have to go to a school and might be there a year or two, that’s just the consequences of our plan and I don’t agree with that.”
Glick says the district would have to buy five buses if it adopts his idea.
He says it’s money well spent.
As for Juan and Yanely Matamoros, they’re relieved they don’t have to take a bus anymore.
Their house is right across the street from school.
Juan says, “You can get there really first and do your homework and be early.”
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