Parents near Gideons Elem. and Park Middle Outraged over No School Bus Service

The Atlanta Public Schools has had a rough first week of school, as problems with their school buses have caused a number of complaints.

Parents in Southwest Atlanta who have children in both Gideons Elementary and Park Middle School, and also live in that area are angry that their children are no longer eligible to ride the school bus.  A new policy enacted this year, says that students that live close to their respective school are no longer able to ride the school bus and will have to find their own way to school. 

The new rule says that if you live within a 1 mile radius of your elementary school or within 1.5 miles of your middle or high school, you are on your own.  The reason for the policy is to save money and resources.

WSB-TV spoke to one SW parent who was outraged and said, “the school bus was our safety zone.”  Without the school bus, students in that area will have to walk through an area that unfortunately has been hit by drugs, prostitution, gang-activity and foreclosure.  This is frightening and unsafe for these young children, many parents believe.

Exceptions to this new busing policy will be made on a case by case basis.