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Parents say buses in Wakulla County are overcrowded

Posted at 6:22 PM, Aug 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-15 18:22:59-04

WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — Over in Wakulla County, parents are also upset with the way the buses are bringing their children home.

They have a different safety concern: Overcrowding on the buses.

Jada WIlliams was live in Wakulla County, where parents say they're now waiting for the district to do something.

Social media began buzzing with horror stories as children arrived home from school on Monday.

Wakulla County parents say their children are being forced to sit in the aisles because there isn't enough room on the buses to ensure everyone gets a seat.

The Wakulla County Schools website says that the county has 46 buses for the school year. Around 4,300 students take the bus each day to school.

Parents say that while the buses are supposed to fit three kids to a seat, there are still children left sitting or standing on their ride home.

Throughout the county, there are signs advertising the need for bus drivers. ABC 27 talked to a mom who says the shortage has been around for a while, but continues to get worse.

"It makes me angry. Because if any of us were to ride around with an extra kid in the back or the trunk or somewhere that they're not supposed to be, then we would get in trouble," said Vicki Thommen, a Wakulla County parent. "This is our kids, we trust them to keep them safe. If it has been going on for so many years, why haven't they found a solution to the problem yet?"

The mother also says that the air conditioning for many of the buses doesn't work well and students are not being allowed to let down the windows for air.

ABC 27 reached out to Wakulla County Schools for their side of things. We have yet to get an answer.