RRISD Pauses Controversial Bus Cuts

Round Rock Independent School District has paused planned bus route changes and will keep current service in place for the 2026-27 school year. (kvue.com) The district announced the pause on April 16 after families objected to route cuts that had been slated to start in August. Round Rock ISD said all currently eligible students will continue receiving bus service next year. (cbsaustin.com) The original plan had affected some students who live within 2 miles of campus after the district said certain pickup routes no longer qualified as “hazardous.” District officials said students losing service would have been offered as many as three walking-path options. (kvue.com) Parents challenged those safety judgments at March board meetings and in TV interviews, pointing to roads without sidewalks, lighting or marked crosswalks. One parent told FOX 7 her 6-year-old daughter would have faced a 45-minute walk to Spicewood Elementary from about 1.7 miles away. (fox7austin.com) The fight landed in the middle of Round Rock ISD’s 2026-27 budget planning, where administrators have been cutting spending as enrollment falls. In February, Chief Financial Officer Dennis Covington projected $492.16 million in revenue and $490.13 million in expenses under a plan that assumed at least 10% reductions across departments. (communityimpact.com) By March 26, the district lowered its revenue estimate to $482.78 million and its expense estimate to $480.94 million after trimming projected enrollment from 45,500 to 45,000 students. District officials said the enrollment drop translated to about $9.3 million less in expected state funding. (communityimpact.com) District leaders said the bus pause will be paired with a new transportation engagement committee made up of staff, administrators and two to three parents from each vertical learning community. Round Rock ISD said it plans to seek volunteers in June and hold the first meeting in August. (kvue.com) The district also said it will create a feedback form so families can flag neighborhood-specific concerns about walking routes. Senior Chief of Schools and Innovation Natalie Nichols told KVUE the district needs to keep reexamining routes across a system this large. (kvue.com) Round Rock ISD’s transportation page says bus eligibility is tied to service parameters and hazardous-route criteria, and families can check assignments through the Smart Tag app and the district’s route finder. For now, the district’s immediate change is no change: the routes families use today will continue into next school year. (roundrockisd.org)