Harbour Grace parents fuming over school busing changes

Frustrated parents in Harbour Grace say busing changes for St. Francis School have put their kids in danger.

Two fewer buses for the school means that about 120 of the school's 300 students who live within1.6kilometres ofthe school no longer have the option to take the bus. Some will have to walk along or across a busy highway.

St. Francis will start classes at 8:05 a.m., more than an hour earlier than last year, leaving parents concerned that their children will walk to school before daylighton winter mornings.

"This year we've had our buses cut, times changed, and a lot of parents are not on board," protest organizer LoriMercer told CBC.

"So I started a Facebook group to get parents here this morning to get parents to rally, to protest, for their voices to be heard, so we can get some changes made here, so our children don't have to walk in the dark in the morning on a highway going to school."

Parent Jesselyn Harris said she's worried about road conditions by her home in the winter.

"I have three boys. All three of my children have special needs," shetold CBC. "In the wintertime, we might get one plow through, which, with no sidewalks, it's not safe. My children, they could be coming to school in the dark with nothing, nothing plowed, and they're going to be soaking wet, sitting in that class."

A child was hit by a car on nearby Lady Lake Road last year during the summer, said Harris.

"So it's not that far-fetched of an idea to think that something's going to happen," she said.

The 1.6-kilometre busing rule is provincewide and has been on the books for some years, but in some areasstudents were picked up if there were empty seats on buses.

In a statement Wednesday afternoon, the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District said changes are being made in Harbour Grace to adhere to the province's student transportation policy.

"We certainly understand that the change has caused inconveniences for some families." the NLESD said in its statement.