LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — Parents at Angeline Academy of Innovation in Land O' Lakes say bumper-to-bumper car line traffic is costing them hours each day — and thousands of dollars each year.
They brought those concerns to the Pasco County School Board on Tuesday, at the board's first meeting since the first day of school. Now, district leaders are responding.
WATCH: Angeline Academy parents demand traffic fixes; district says it's improving
Every parent who spoke during public comment was from Angeline Academy of Innovation, describing a dismissal process that has stretched car lines from the school parking lot out onto surrounding streets.
"I'm here to talk about the transportation crisis at Angeline," parent Michael Zadroga said during public comment.
"We are as a family suffering too much being in the car line for two hours... it's been hard," another parent said.
Some parents said they arrive more than an hour before dismissal just to avoid the worst of the backup.
Rita Borkowski, a grandparent at Angeline Academy of Innovation, said she has made that a daily routine.
"I usually get here at 2 and pick them up at 3:15, so I'm here an hour and 15 minutes every day," Borkowski said.
Fellow parent John Peterson said the timing is not optional.
"If I got out here any later, I'd be way out on the street and I wouldn't get out of here with my kids until probably 3:30," Peterson said.
Parents say the problem goes beyond the first few weeks of school. They point to rapid growth in the area — new schools and new neighborhoods — as the contributing factor to the congestion.
"I don't think they were at all prepared for how fast everything was gonna explode essentially," Peterson said.
The traffic is also hitting families financially. Zadroga, the parent who called the situation a "transportation crisis," calculated the cost during his public comment.
"It's placing a huge financial burden on the families," Zadroga said. "The average hourly rate in Pasco County is about $30 an hour, so I think that works out to be about $13,500 a day in lost wages and if you add that up in the 181 days school — that's little over $2.4 million in lost revenue for the families."
While parents acknowledge that transportation is not guaranteed at magnet schools — since they are choice schools — they are asking the district to add more buses.
"Whatever help you guys can do will lessen the burden," one parent said during public comment.
Parents also credited school staff for the adjustments already made.
"The school staff has done an amazing job changing car line, making adjustments, but there's just too many kids on campus to hop one or two at a time into an individual car," Zadroga said.
Superintendent John Legg acknowledged the district has work to do.
"We've had some logistical problems at the schools," Legg said.
But Legg said a new route has already produced measurable results.
"They implemented a new strategy and reduced time by 30 minutes since Day 1... we're pleased that we're heading in the right direction, but we have a lot more to do," Legg said.
Legg said after the 10-day count, the district will reassess transportation options for students.
Challenges over Florida's school bus and school speed zone camera face setbacks as legal battles continue
Cameras catching drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses or speed through school zones are generating millions of citations across Florida — and a growing wave of legal challenges.
