ORANGE PARK, Fla. — On the first day of school, parents in one Clay County community say their children’s safety is on the line after the district cut a bus route—forcing students to cross a busy multi-lane roundabout on Oakleaf Plantation Parkway.

The route once served hundreds of elementary and middle school students at Plantation Oaks Elementary and Oakleaf Junior High. The district began offering it as a courtesy in 2021 after a child was struck in the area. But this year, the courtesy bus is gone.

Parents say they found out the decision was made in July due to budget cuts. Even after bringing concerns up at last week's school board meeting, parents say their kids must now walk to school, navigating fast-moving traffic with no crossing guards and some crosswalk signals that don’t w

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