ST.CLOUD, Fla. — A father is so worried about what he says is a dangerous bus stop that his daughter uses in St. Cloud that he walks her to school daily.

• His daughter attends Osceola County School of the Arts
• There is no crossing guard or crosswalk at bus stop
• School district says bus stop is safe; parents do not agree

"This avenue is very dangerous …," Javier Baez said.

He walks his 11-year-old daughter to the bus stop every day. Baez said the intersection of Old Canoe Creek Road and Mallard Pond Boulevard, near a busy shopping center, is well-traveled and parents say it poses a danger for their children.

"Somebody needs to do something," Baez said. 

The school bus that picks up his child and other students from the Osceola County School of the Arts does not go inside of his community, Mallard Pond, while other buses do.

The bus stops on the lane furthest away from the subdivision, forcing students to cross the busy roadway daily, without a crossing guard or crosswalk, to get to their stop. 

Vanessa Coleman is another concerned parent with an 11-year-old daughter as well. She recounts an incident in which a car almost did not stop for the kids crossing the intersection.

"A lady in a car just came and the other cars just honked at her and then she finally stopped. She came to a screeching halt. There was smoke coming out of the tires and she was probably like 30 seconds away from hitting all the kids. It was terrifying. I was shaking from that incident," she recalled.

Spectrum News 13 reached out to the Osceola School District and officials sent the following statement:  

"Because this services the OCSA students who attend the school via the District's Choice Program, these buses travel on arterial routes. This means they stay on the main feeder roads and do not travel into communities or onto smaller side streets. We do this to eliminate adding time to already lengthy routes. The bus stop complies with our standards and is considered safe for the use of students."

The district maintains the bus stop is safe, but these parents do not agree. Baez has jotted down each time he has called the transportation department with an issue. All he wants d is for a crossing guard or crosswalk to be placed here.

"The life of my children is more important than anything," Baez added. 

The Osceola County School District stated the use of this particular bus route is optional and elected by the parent/guardian through the Choice Program.