Round Rock ISD to change bus routes next school year; parents looking for answers

RRISD to change bus routes next school year

Round Rock ISD parents are now looking for answers after several of them were told they will no longer receive bus services. The changes are set to begin next year, but families have already begun to ask the district to reverse the decision. FOX 7 Austin's Marco Bitonel has more.

ROUND ROCK, Texas - Round Rock ISD parents are now looking for answers after several of them were told they will no longer receive bus services. 

The changes are set to begin next year, but families have already begun to ask the district to reverse the decision. 

What they're saying:

Frustrations are rising for some Round Rock ISD parents as big changes to student transportation are on the horizon.

"They just said this is how it is, and there was no room even for feedback," Charissa Shuttleworth, a parent at Laurel Mountain Elementary, told FOX 7 Austin. "It was a huge surprise."

Shuttleworth says she received an email from the district on Feb. 27 stating that for the 2026-27 school year, they would no longer be providing bus service to Laurel Mountain students. A similar email was sent to parents at multiple schools across the district.

The district says they were previously able to provide bus services because all other routes to campus were deemed hazardous. Now after review, many routes have been deemed no longer eligible for bus transportation, leaving parents wondering what changed.

"They didn't provide us any information about what had changed, what improvements, if any, have been made, and if the criteria itself has changed," Shuttleworth said.

With bus route cuts, Round Rock ISD has provided alternate routes that students can use to walk or bike to school, but for parents like Shuttleworth, it's not enough.

"I immediately was very confused because the route that they suggested is not safe," she said.

On some streets, there are no sidewalks, meaning the only way kids can get to school is to walk in the street. 

A video from another parents shows just how dark it is at 7 a.m. along one of RRISD's new suggested routes. Others have raised concerned about blind turns and the possibility of children walking nearly two miles to school.

Dig deeper:

The bus route eliminations come after the district approved a nearly $1 billion bond proposal in 2024, in which over $10 million is set to be spent on new buses.

"Had any of us known that all these bus routes were going to be cut, I am positive that we would have had second thoughts about passing a bond package that included $11 million for new buses," said Shuttleworth.

The other side:

Round Rock ISD provided a statement to FOX 7 Austin, saying:

We understand that this change may be difficult. The safety of our students is and always will be our top priority, and the decision to end bus service to any route is made after a thorough process that ensures safe walking routes.

A hazardous route is one within 2 miles of a campus where walking would expose students to unsafe traffic or other dangers. Most routes ending in August are older, non-hazardous bus routes that had not previously been deemed hazardous.

Round Rock ISD regularly re-evaluates walking paths available to our students to determine where bus service is needed. When new sidewalks or safety improvements are completed, walking routes may become safer, and bus service needs may change.

A walking path is considered hazardous based on multiple safety factors—not just distance—and includes the presence of sidewalks and crosswalks, speed limits, and the grade or steepness of the walking path. Each element affects the overall score of the walking path.

All families whose students will no longer receive bus service beginning this fall were also provided with one to three walking paths for their children. We encourage our families to review the routes and safe walking practices together.