ORANGE PARK, Fla. — On opening day for the school year, parents in a Clay County neighborhood are concerned about their children’s safety after the district eliminated a bus route, which now requires students to navigate a busy multi-lane roundabout on Oakleaf Plantation Parkway.

This bus route previously catered to numerous elementary and middle school students attending Plantation Oaks Elementary and Oakleaf Junior High. The district initially provided it in 2021 as a safety measure following an incident where a child was struck in the area, but this year, that courtesy has been rescinded.

Parents say they were notified in July that the decision was driven by budget constraints. Despite raising these concerns at last week’s school board meeting, parents express that their children must now walk to school, facing fast traffic, absent crossing guards, and some malfunctioning crosswalk signals.

“It’s a huge safety concern,” said Jermaine Johnson, a parent of a second grader at Plantation Oaks Elementary, describing the initial school day. “A young child didn’t know how to activate the crossing lights—he simply walked right through. Any number of things could have happened.”

Others, like parents Kristen Hamilton and Ashley Augustyniak, worry the problem will only grow. 

A new Super Walmart is set to open nearby, bringing more traffic to the same stretch of road. 

“You’re putting a Super Walmart on the same road where you have children aged 5 to 15 crossing,” noted Tarra Mckibben, a mother of twins at Oakleaf Junior High. “In the dark, drivers won’t see these kids until they’re very close—or worse, after hitting them.”

Marcus Ball, a father of an 8th grader and 3rd grader, said the roundabout’s layout makes things worse. 

“It’s making it more confusing versus making it more accessible,” he said. “And that’s when accidents can happen,” Johnson added.

From what families say they’ve seen over the years, the area has a history of crashes involving both cars and pedestrians. 

Parents say the combination of heavy traffic, distracted drivers and young children unfamiliar with road safety is a recipe for tragedy.

“We’re not asking for much,” Mckibben added. “We’re just asking for a bus to get our kids to and from school safely.”

The Clay County School District explains that the decision aligns with state guidelines: since the schools are less than two miles from the impacted neighborhoods, transportation isn’t mandated. The district acknowledged that the route was offered as a courtesy service.

Spokesperson Terri Dennis said in a statement: “Approximately 300 students in the Oakleaf area (K-12 at all four campuses) were affected by the change in ridership policy that aligns with state statute. Parents can apply for courtesy ridership status, which will be evaluated after the first four weeks of school. Approval is based on space, and we need to finalize the routes for those that qualify for ridership first. Then, if a route is not at capacity, we can accept courtesy riders. Parents can apply for courtesy ridership on the www.oneclay.net website under Transportation.”

Parents argue that the cost of reinstating it would be worth avoiding a potential accident. Many say they plan to keep pressing the district and county officials until changes are made.