Parents sound off on transportation issues

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (WSVN) -- A number of parents are angry after transportation issues on the first day of school in Broward County.

At Coral Springs Middle School, some school buses did not show up to the school to pick up or drop off students.

Parents like Ronda McKenzie were visibly upset. "I'm pissed off!" she exclaimed. "I'm very [expletive] upset!"

McKenzie's daughter, Taja McCullough, waited for a bus that never came. "I waited for about an hour, an hour and a half," said McCullough.

McKenzie drove her daughter to Coral Springs Middle, then had to drive back to the school to pick up her child when no bus was assigned to take her home. "I had to come out here today to pick her up, and I'm very [expletive] upset about it! I had to pick her up!" said McKenzie.

Broward County Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie received a ton of other complaints from parents like McKenzie, who had issues with the school district's transportation system. "This district and the community have my commitment that it's something that we'll improve on," Runcie said, "and I do understand that there have been challenges."

Other parents, like Jenna Bensoussan, were told that their children, who caught the school bus last year, would have to walk to school this year. Bensoussan said, "It's child endangerment, any way you slice it. It's a two-mile walk. For a young girl, it's just not safe."

The school district provided a hotline for parents who had issues with the school buses today, but some parents said they called the hotline and were put on hold, then the line suddenly went dead.

Parents can only hope that Tuesday will be better. "Not a good start for Broward, period," one mother said.

If you would like to call the hotline tomorrow, the number is (754) 321-4480.

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