ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Parents at one Orange County elementary school are worried — not just about a possible closure, but about how their children would get to class if it happens.
Eccleston Elementary is one of seven schools the district is considering shutting down, citing declining enrollment and rising costs. Several parents are questioning how their students would get to school if Eccleston Elementary closes
Eccleston Elementary parent Lexus Cutter worries that a different path — along busier roads and through unfamiliar areas — could create new risks for children in her neighborhood.
[WATCH: ‘Potential use’ plans unveiled for 7 Orange County schools up for closure]
“Will they encounter certain things while walking to school? Is there going to be a more supervised route?” Cutter asked.
Cutter walked from her home in Richmond Heights in West Orange County, along the route her first and second graders and other children in the complex would take if the school closed.
Cutter pointed out that what is currently about a 30-minute walk to Eccleston could turn into nearly 50 minutes if students are rezoned to the nearest campus, Washington Shores Elementary.
“The safety, the traffic that’s going on with this route the kids have to take — will they even make it to school?” Cutter said.
District leaders say students who live more than two miles from their assigned school qualify for bus transportation, but families within that two-mile radius may not have a bus option.
Officials say ESE students currently receive transportation to Eccleston and add that walking routes would be reviewed to ensure students can safely and reliably attend their schools.
The school board is set to vote on the proposed consolidation of schools on March 10.
[WATCH: More Orange County school closures might be unavoidable, superintendent says]