A group of Deltona parents say the path to an education for their children is a dangerous one.
Parents are concerned their children have to walk through a construction zone and are calling on the school district to bus their children to keep them safe.
A section of Howland Boulevard is being widened and is right at the entrance to Pride Elementary School.
That’s the same reason Laverne Prinze drives her twins to school, even though she works long hours and has to scramble to find a way to get them to school.
Prinze was told she and her children do not live the required two miles away from school to qualify for busing.
“There’s no sidewalk or nothing there,” Prinze said. “Even the crossing guards say that it’s dangerous to have them walking there and they don’t know why they’re walking. I don’t understand why they don’t give them a bus.”
School District spokesperson Nancy Wait released the following statement:
"Volusia County Schools generally does not provide transportation for students who live within the 2-mile walk zone in accordance with Administrative Rule 6A-3.001. If the walk path is determined to meet the hazardous walking criteria as defined by Florida Statute 1006.23, then courtesy busing is provided. In the case of Pride Elementary, a temporary walk space has been provided. It does not meet the criteria for hazardous walking conditions."
We measured the distance from the entrance to the Pride Elementary school parking lot to Prinze's home and it was exactly 2.1 miles.