Floresville area great-grandmother livid, says bus won't pick great-granddaughter up for school

Girl's father says if there's no reasonable solution offered, he plans to sue

FLORESVILLE, Texas – A great-grandmother is concerned her great-granddaughter isn't getting the education she needs because the Floresville School District refuses to send a bus down the street where they live.

The family said it's difficult for the child to get to the closest bus stop that's about a mile away. 

Lea Popham, 86, said her great-granddaughter Ryanne, 5, hasn't been able to go to school since the start of the school year in August, so now she's been unenrolled.

Popham worries Ryanne won't be allowed to attend first grade next year at Floresville North Elementary.

“They have ignored us.” Popham said about district officials. “I don't know what they're trying to pull over there.”

Ryanne's father used to drive her to the school bus every day, but he’s no longer able to do that because he works 16 hours a day out of town in the oil field.

Ryanne stays with her great-grandmother on County Road 106, about a mile from FM 2505 where the bus stop is located.

The school district said the stretch of County Road 106 is just too narrow for the bus to come down and turn around.

“I have had that bus coming here 58 years. That road was terrible. It was all dirt.” Popham said.

But even when County Road 106 was just a dirt road, she said, it wasn't a problem.

“I got picked up every day by the bus.” said Travis Popham, Ryanne’s father.

He said attempts to figure out the situation out have gone nowhere.

“The only person who has even talked back to me is the truancy officer. I explained the situation to him. He came out here, took pictures and saw everything, and he told the bus there no reason they shouldn't be picking her up.” Travis Popham said.

The school district sent KSAT the following statement:

"Floresville ISD continually evaluates its bus routes and stops and makes adjustments as we can based on the safety of all riders. We use consolidated bus stops as opposed to stopping at each home of our 1800-1900 bus riders ... Their current bus stop is in the same location as last year when the student used the stop to ride the bus to school."

Travis Popham said he would be open to the idea of the school district providing online or home schooling, but if there isn't a solution soon, he plans to sue the district. 


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