More on Those Money-Saving New Bus Routes From HISD

At a hastily called Zoom meeting Tuesday afternoon, Houston ISD Chief of Public Affairs and Communications Alexandra “Alex” Elizondo answered 15 minutes of questions from the media during which she assured those online that changing bus routes right before the start of school was normal.

She expanded upon the late night announcement Monday in which the district said it would save $3 million consolidating and shortening distances that school choice students are on buses with further transportation efficiencies estimated to save the district a total of $10 million in 2024-25.

By the following school year, she said, “The district hopes to take our transportation costs down from roughly $56 million to $40 million.”

It still remained somewhat confusing — as we wrote yesterday — as to how the district will shorten the  time traveling in buses (the average school choice student ride will decrease from 1 hour and 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes) while providing fewer routes. (508 to a projected 423).

Despite the fewer routes, the number of bus drivers will not be diminished, she said. Also, all special ed students and zoned students will not see their HISD transportation change in any way, Elizondo said.

Echoing the press release that went out Monday, Elizondo said HISD could no longer afford doing what no other area school district is doing in providing lengthy trips across town for a subsection of its student population.

“HISD is the only district in the Houston metro area that transports all of our magnet and specialty school students and all of our students that opt into our school choice program.  We are committed to continuing to do that but we have to consolidate routes to make that better for kids, to reduce their ride time and better for the district to save money.”

Calling it a “minor adjustment,” in the HISD staetment yesterday, “Student bus stopes will now be within a three mile radius of the student’s home address. (Previously it was a two mile radius).” This affects about 3,000 students, Elizondo said.

At the same time Elizondo insisted that this was in no way being done to discourage participation in the school choice program, which she says HISD continues to support.

“HISD wants to make sure that every child has the shortest amount of time on the bus as possible and that we’re increasing the efficiency of our transportation system.

“Historically transportation has been a big issue in HISD. It has not been reliable. It has not been efficient.”
She said an efficiency report done by Superintendent Mike Miles ‘ administration determined that the  district was spending $50 million to transport 9,000 kids each year. “And kids were spending way too long on the bus.”

“Not a lot of kids were on way too many buses going all over the city.”

Buses will be making fewer stops with increased ridership on each bus. “The bus routes before were not well planned.” The bus stops will be at high schools or middle schools or their feeder patternor at a community center or library, for instance, she said.

Parents will be notified about their children’s bus routes by the end of July, Elizondo said, adding that there will be “a couple more” transportation changes to come in the 2024-25 school year.