LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- We've all heard the debate over school choice in Lee County. Now, it's growing, with parents saying it's part of a dangerous combination leaving children at risk.
School choice is when parents have the option to choose a school that values a child's interest regardless of the proximity to your home. Sometimes parents have 16 different schools they're able to choose from.
Parents say young kids are standing at dark bus stops early in the morning because they're being bused far from home instead of going to the closest school.
Now parents are calling for action again, this time gauging how the community feels about school choice through social media.
One parent got almost 600 votes on a poll asking whether or not the school district should keep school choice or drop it. Almost 80% said they want to see the district do away with the program.
The poll is based on the tragic death of 8-year-old Layla Aiken. She was hit and killed by a car, in March, and parents have been asking the school district to make changes to protect other children.
"I’m not really happy with the school choice program," said Ronaldo Guido, a parent of a child in the school choice program.
Guido has a daughter who was assigned to South Fort Myers Senior High School, which he says is almost 7 miles away, but he only lives 2 miles away from Fort Myers high, where he believes she was supposed to be in the first place.
"I believe they’re trying to manipulate the policy to fit their agenda, whereas I’m trying to look out for the best interests of my child," said Guido.
Certain comments in the polls are suggesting more close-knit neighborhood schools, to hopefully avoid those long commutes and early bus stop pickups for elementary school children.
The Lee County School district says if that happens, those neighborhood schools would create more problems. Such as later start and finish times, which could result in kids walking home in the dark. Right now parents have the option of choosing up to 16 different elementary schools. The district is trying to shrink that selection pool to about 2 or 3.
"We understand the frustration, many of us have been there, but there can be ways to work it out and we hope in the end we hope you’re happy with the school you’re assigned," said Rob Spicker, Media Relations and Public Information at The School District of Lee County.
The school district says its solution for the elementary school won’t be implemented for another few years if that measure is passed.
