Houston Secondary School students living in the upper area of the community now have the option of taking a bus to and from the school.
The measure was put in following concerns raised by parents about safety following two troubling incidents last month in which a stranger grabbed a girl’s arm in the first incident and when a stranger followed a boy in the second incident.
Both incidents were reported to Houston RCMP and the detachment is investigating each incident to determine the identity of the strangers.
Houston Secondary Students at one time could ride a bus to school from the residential area but that was stopped years ago.
“We did have some inquiries from parents about reinstating the option for Houston Secondary School students and they cited safety concerns,” School District 54 superintendent Mike McDiarmid said last week.
“After some investigating by our transportation department, it was determined that we could provide the service without having to add another bus.”
The bus high school students can now take is the same one used for Twain Sullivan elementary students.
Houston RCMP officers have also spoken to the schools about the incidents, asking principals to remind students and parents to be aware of their surroundings and to say in well lit areas.
McDiarmid said the number of high school students using the bus would determine how long the service would continue.