(WSVN) - Many South Florida students will be getting on the bus to head to school next week. But one student is being blocked from boarding, and his dad wants to know why.
7’s Karen Hensel investigates.
Bobby Hollis says his son has always taken the bus to school. But this year, he was told he couldn’t.
Bobby Hollis/parent: “I can look out of my door, see the kids all standing here to get on the bus. And then my son is supposed to walk past them all and keep going to school.”
Bobby didn’t want us to share his son’s name but he did explain his problem.
Bobby Hollis: “My son’s been going to Margate Middle School for the last three years. He was riding the bus the first couple of years.”
But when Bobby tried registering him for bus service for this school year, he was denied.
Bobby Hollis: “Due to the fact that we’re 1.95 miles away from the school, they said, ‘No, you don’t live far enough.'”
The district says because Bobby’s house is less than 2 miles from Margate Middle School, it makes his son ineligible to ride the bus.
But Bobby says the distance was never an issue before because his son rode the bus for the past two years. He adds if his house is too close, then so is the bus stop.
Bobby Hollis: “I explained to them we live farther than the bus.”
The bus stop is at Winfield Park. It’s 1.9 miles north of Margate Middle School.
Bobby’s house is 300 feet north of the bus stop. That means, his son actually has to walk past the bus stop and nearly two miles to get to school.
Bobby Hollis: “Transportation even told me that that yeah, he would have to walk from our house past the bus stop and to the school. That’s what they told me.”
Broward County Public Schools tells 7 Investigates “To be eligible for school bus transportation, a student’s residence must be two miles or more in walking distance from the school he or she attends. The location of the bus stop is not a factor in determining individual rider eligibility.”
Bobby Hollis: “Actually, next coming year, there’s going to be other kids in this neighborhood that live across the street or beside me or in either direction, and no, they’re not going to be allowed to ride the bus, too.”
Parents whose children have to walk to school can apply in October for their students to take the bus if there are any empty seats.
Bobby says he did that, but was still denied.
Bobby Hollis: “They said they didn’t have enough seats.”
But when 7 Investigates asked a spokesperson for Broward County Public Schools, we were told “At this time, there are four open seats…” available.
Not long after, Bobby got some good news.
Bobby Hollis: “There was a bus pass there. Now he has a bus pass.”
Just in time for Bobby’s son to finish middle school.
He’ll head to high school in the fall, and his dad is hoping he won’t have to fight another “school bus battle” next year.
Karen Hensel, 7News.
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