Conroe ISD faces $27 million state transportation funding gap as hazardous bus routes grow

Conroe ISD trustees want to expand the district's Hazardous Route Plan, but a lack of state funding has created a $27 million transportation funding gap, making expansion difficult. 

The board unanimously approved the plan for the upcoming school year but agreed it needs to take a hard look at the plan to ensure the safety of children traveling to and from school. 

Conroe ISD officials say rapid growth has forced the district to add more hazardous bus routes for students living near dangerous roadways, but Texas limits reimbursement for those routes to 10% of a district's transportation allotment. As a result, the district covers most of the cost locally and plans to ask lawmakers for additional funding.  

"I don't think you can put a price tag on safety," Trustee Marianne Horton said. "I think that is something we need to promise our families that their children will be safe."

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Hazardous routes include areas with freeways and expressways; no walking paths; bridges without pedestrian walkways; no pedestrian crosswalks; over- and underpasses without pedestrian walks; commercial areas; and areas where the speed limit is 55 miles per hour or higher.

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Chris McCord said if an area is designated a hazardous route, the district will provide bus service. The state, he said, provides up to 10% of its transportation allotment to cover the costs of those added routes. However, he said Conroe ISD has reached that 10% cap.

Last year, the district spent $2.9 million on hazardous routes but received only $447,289 in state reimbursement. Overall, the district spent $35 million on transportation and received just $7.4 million in state funding, creating an overall transportation funding gap of roughly $27 million. 

Because of growth in the county, McCord said the district has had to add more hazardous routes, reaching the state's 10% reimbursement cap. Each added route costs the district about $107,000, he said.

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"Just because we provide transportation to them doesn't mean they always take it," McCord said. "If they want to take a bike, or walk, or rickshaw, however they want to go to get to school, they can elect to do so."

McCord said the cost of hazardous routes will increase this school year. 

Trustee Melissa Dungan said transportation needs to be a legislative priority.

"There is no way we should be operating at a $27 million deficit," Dungan said. "Especially in transportation, that is ludicrous."

McCord said there would be "no way" of making up that gap.

"We really need help from the state," McCord said. "I look forward to sharing this with legislators."

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