Overcrowded school bus has some parents concerned

A packed Charlotte-Mecklenburg school bus has some parents concerned after a student recorded video of kids standing in the aisle because there were no seats available.

Parents raise safety concerns about crowded CMS bus

The ninth grader at the new Ballantyne Ridge High School who rides the bus said it’s not safe, and her parents asked the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district to fix the problem.

“The second week of school, it started getting more packed,” said student C’Nyia Rembert. “They’ll yell out, ‘There’s nowhere to sit’ and he just tells them ‘Find a seat.’”

“I think when they did the zoning, they really didn’t consider how many kids will transfer from South Meck (High School), going to this new school,” said her father, Carlos Rembert.

He said he has called to complain about the problem but there hasn’t been anything done about it.

“I literally sat on the phone for 30 minutes,” he said. “No one came to the phone when the office opened.”

Candace Brazzle, C’Nyia Rembert’s mother, said Wednesday on the phone that they want a swift resolution.

“These kids could go flying out the window, flying on top of each other,” Brazzle said. “If that bus rolls over, if someone hits it hard enough, it’s just not a safe situation.”

Channel 9 reached out to CMS Wednesday via email. A spokesperson said the district has “modified the bus route” to “support the growing student population” effective on Thursday.

“Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has an abiding interest in providing safe access to and from school. Transportation Services Department has modified the bus route.  This will support the growing student population at Ballantyne High School,” CMS said in the statement. “Some students will see a bus change as this new change will become effective today.  Bus information will also be made available to parents on the Here Comes the Bus app. CMS will continue to monitor the bus routes closely.”