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    Mother upset after being told 8-year-old can’t ride bus to school

    By Tanner DeLeon/ KFOR,

    22 days ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2vp2XZ_0vljYdov00

    OKLAHOMA CITY ( KFOR ) — A mother is livid after being told her young daughter can no longer ride the bus to and from school, even though she has done so for the past several years.

    The mom says they have lived in the same apartment over the past three years and her daughter has used the bus.

    However, she has been told all of a sudden their home is too close to her child’s school.

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    “I really just cannot figure out why or how anyone thinks that it’s a safer alternative for my child to walk that far,” Juli-Anna Scherpenseel, mother said. “When we have the option to walk a block over, get on the bus and it will safely take her to or from her destination.”

    Now, she is being told her 8-year-old daughter doesn’t have that option anymore.

    “Up until Monday she was riding the bus home every single day for the last three years,” Scherpenseel said.

    State law says districts must provide transportation to families living a mile-and-a-half or more away from a school.

    Putnam City, along with many other districts, provide routes to those that are at least one mile away.

    Scherpenseel says she was told her home is less than a mile from her daughter’s school, but google maps shows the distance is 1.2 miles.

    “I kind of feel like I’m being picked on and I don’t know why,” Scherpenseel said.

    We saw the bus take the exact route Scherpenseel says it always has since her daughter started school, which goes right by their apartment complex.

    We reached out to Putnam City Schools about this and district leaders sent the following statement.

    Putnam City Schools is aware of the current situation and is actively collaborating with the parent to review bus boundary guidelines and explore the available options. While this process is ongoing, the student is fully able to continue using the bus for transportation to and from school. According to Oklahoma State Law, public schools are required to provide transportation for elementary students living more than 1.5 miles from the school. However, Putnam City Schools is proud to go beyond this requirement by offering bus transportation to elementary students residing over one mile away. We value the partnership with our District’s parents and are committed to working together to resolve any concerns as they arise.

    Putnam City Schools

    However, Scherpenseel says she hasn’t heard from them in days.

    “They basically told me, like, that’s too bad,” Scherpenseel said. “You’re going to have to find other arrangements, and that was that.

    She now relies on friends for help and leaves work early some days, which has her worried about her employment.

    Her biggest fear though is what could happen to her daughter.

    “It’s extremely concerning just because in the day and age that we’re in, where I mean, we all are hearing about all the human trafficking that’s going on…” Scherpenseel said. “I mean, she’s eight years old, so I mean, there’s just no way that I’m comfortable with that.”

    For now, the district says the child can still ride the bus while they come up with a permanent solution.

    If a solution isn’t reached by the next board meeting, Scherpenseel says she plans to voice her frustration.

    Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

    For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.

    Comments / 61
    Add a Comment
    Koonkeo Chanthorn
    20d ago
    When moronblicans take control
    BlueWave2024
    20d ago
    omg what is the problem with letting the girl ride the bus. these people here lately have really just stepped away from being kind considerate people to making things worse for people. what has happened to our country.
    View all comments
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