Sycamore Creek to keep bus service

Parents of Sycamore Creek Elementary students will get to keep bus service to their nearby neighborhoods, Wake school officials said today.

The decision is a reversal by school transportation officials who said students near the newly opened elementary school would have to walk instead of ride the bus because they lived too close to the Leesville Road school.

But Sycamore Creek parents packed the school's auditorium Wednesday afternoon to protest.

Many of the families live within a 1 1/2 mile zone of the school, which is considered a walk zone unless there are safety concerns. Parents pointed out to transportation officials attending the meeting that having students walk along busy Leesville Road was too dangerous, especially for elementary school children.

"We're happy that the transportation department took our safety concerns seriously," said Sycamore Creek parent Eric Blau.

At the meeting, parents asked that the bus service be kept in place that was established when their children were temporarily sent to Hilburn Elementary School until construction at Sycamore was completed.

"We feel it would be in the best interest of the children's safety to provide transportation," said Don Haydon, chief facilities and operations officer.