Lafayette grandmother raises safety concerns over bus stop distance
LAFAYEETTE, La. (KLFY) -- A Lafayette Parish grandmother is voicing concerns about her autistic granddaughter’s safety, saying the child has to walk too far each morning to reach her school bus stop.
Marion Leopold said her 11-year-old granddaughter, Alyria Smith-Woodside, faces dark roads, traffic and animals during the early-morning walk.
“My worry about this walk would be the animals that’s out here, the drivers that’s out here,” Leopold said. “Yesterday morning, a truck almost hit us because there’s no streetlights. It’s just dangerous for a child to be walking that far at five in the morning.”
Smith-Woodside said the distance and heat make the walk difficult.
“It was really too hot, and we almost passed out,” she said.
The Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) acknowledges the walk but disputes the grandmother’s claim that the distance is a mile and a half. LPSS Communications Director Tracy Wirtz said officials measured the route.
“We looked at the student’s address and the bus stop, and it’s about a half a mile,” Wirtz said. “That’s within our guidelines, but our transportation supervisor has reached out to the family to see how we can work with them.”
District policy allows middle school students to walk up to four-tenths of a mile to a bus stop and high schoolers up to six-tenths of a mile. News 10 measured the walk at .55 miles; over the middle school limit, but still under the high school limit.
Wirtz said LPSS uses mapping systems to calculate distances and works with families when concerns are raised.
“We use mapping systems that calculate the walk from the student’s home to the bus stop. In this case, it was about a half mile,” Wirtz said.
While the school system says it is within policy, Leopold insists more needs to be done.
“I feel like if we keep allowing the school board and the school system to play with our kids, anything could happen,” Leopold said.