The Hillsborough County School Board voted Tuesday to end school bus service for some students. 

  • School bus service to end for some students in Hillsborough
  • School district calls it 'courtesy busing,' not funded by state
  • Will end rides for about 7,500 students who live within 2 miles of school
  • Won't affect elementary schools

The school board proposed phasing out school busing for about 7,500 middle and high school students who live within two miles of their school.

"Courtesy busing," as the school district calls it, is not funded by the state, and phasing it out could save the district almost $10 million per school year. 

The district took public comments today on the measure at a 3 p.m. school board meeting. 

"The state criteria is very specific," School Board spokesperson Tanya Arja said. "It looks at speed limit, it looks at the easement or sidewalks that are provided for students on the roadway to school. But is very specific, and that's what we have looked at over the past couple of months, to look at the routes and determine which students still need that transportation and which students we'll no longer provide it to."

The changes will impact students across the county but especially in the FishHawk Ranch neighborhoods that send students to Newsome High and Randall and Barrington middle schools. 

Parents are not happy about the changes. 

"Parents have to go to work early in the morning," Tammy Dominguez said. "And having kids walk to school within the two miles they're going to have to walk in rain, heat, traffic, I mean we've already had a couple kids get hit by cars.  

"It's not a good idea, I don't think so."

Since approved, the changes will start with the 2017-18 school year and will not impact elementary schools.