Children Under 12 Must Be Accompanied by an Adult
By Leslie Whitworth The Concho Valley Transit Unit (CVT) has scheduled six community meetings with various dates and times at the M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library to introduce their service and inform Mason residents of what they can expect as the HOP is replaced by CVT for local transport beginning March 1, 2025.
The first meeting was held January 8 at 5:00 p.m.. Staff from the Mason HOP team attended to find out more and two concerned parents who rely on the HOP to transport their children to school were there, in addition to County Commissioner Dave Underwood. Additional meeting dates are January 13 at 9:00 a.m., January 27 at 12:00 p.m., February 5 at 9:00 a.m., February 10 at 12:00 p.m. and February 24 at 5:00 p.m.. All meetings will take place in the Stribling Room at the M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library.
Jeff York, Director of CVT, led the session. CVT is a rural and urban transit district headquartered in San Angelo serving 13 rural counties including nearby Menard, Kimble and McCulloch counties. York is passionate about equitable access to transportation in rural areas. He advocates for the needs of rural people who have fewer options for public transportation than urban residents, “We understand rural life and we will work to provide services to meet your needs.”
The list of offerings in terms of transport as Mason switches from HOP to CVT is similar and may even increase, but there is one key exception. For many years, the HOP has been a lifeline for some working parents living too near MISD campuses to qualify for bus service. Their children ride the HOP to and from school.
Students under the age of 12 who ride transport are called “day trippers.” York said, “Funding for CVT does not cover day trippers. Transporting day trippers would put CVT funds in jeopardy.” Beginning March 1, 2025, no child under 12 can be transported on public transit unless accompanied by the parent or guardian who scheduled the ride.
Current state statutes governing reimbursement for public school transportation service to and from school only provide funding when students live more than two miles from campus, except when the transportation is required by an ARD or 504 committee. Students who reside less than two miles from MISD campuses rely on private transportation, usually a family member. However, some parents’ work schedules, out-of-town jobs or even disabilities make it difficult to meet the daily drop off and pick up cadence. In some cases, these parents have relied on the HOP to fill in gaps.
Commissioner Underwood, a former public school superintendent, said that Mason ISD has done the math for providing the service without seeking reimbursement, but so far the board has not elected to cover the extra cost due to budget constraints. With the switch to CVT, parents are losing a vital option.
Sean Leamon Mason ISD Superintendent said the district is not considering picking up students using buses in town. Instead they are working with the affected families on custom solutions. He said, “Currently there are around 12-14 students that ride the HOP bus and no more than four or five are under 12.”
Underwood stressed his support for CVT as the new provider, “It’s not that CVT does not want to transport children under 12. TXDoT makes the rules and funds the service and they prohibit transporting children under 12.”
He explained that transporting children under 12 has been discontinued in neighboring counties and Mason was barely able to get approval for the last few years. As our current public transport provider has become more urban-focused, a move away from rural services threatened the current model. “Federal COVID funds filled in the gap and the conversation was tabled because the (former) transit district had sufficient funds.” Now that has changed.
Parents attending the meeting expressed dismay. They
The Concho Valley Transit Unit (CVT) scheduled community meetings with various dates and times at the M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library to introduce their service and inform Mason residents of what they can expect as the HOP is replaced by CVT for local transport beginning March 1, 2025.
Meeting dates are January 27 at 12:00 p.m., February 5 at 9:00 a.m., February 10 at 12:00 p.m. and February 24 at 5:00 p.m..
have a few weeks to make alternative arrangements for daily transport of their young students to and from school. As a parent of grown children reflecting on options, my mind goes immediately to the fact that two pedestrians have been stuck by vehicles in Mason in the last two weeks. One died. Earlier in 2024, a child was hit on Rainey Street and transported by helicopter for head injuries. “Just walk” or “ride your bike” would not work for me as a mother of a child under 12 given recent events.
Residents who currently rely on the HOP for other types of rides will need to update their information about scheduling. Attending one of the meetings at the M. Beven Eckert Library is a great way to get answers. The new buses will be blue and black or white, emblazoned with the CVT logo. Mason drivers were encouraged during the meeting to go online and re-apply for their jobs. CVT buses have onboard cameras and Passenger Assistance, Safety and Sensitivity (PASS)-certified drivers who wear uniforms. All vehicles have safety equipment and do pre-and post- trip checks.
Medicaid funded transport, Non-Emergency Transport and ADA Paratransit are among the services CVT will offer in Mason. Brady currently has on-demand service, like Uber, through CVT. York stated that his goal is to meet the needs of rural residents and increase ridership by ten percent annually. He stressed that he is open to learning more about how to achieve this in Mason County and forging new partnerships to increase access to services for rural residents.
