UPDATE:
It appears that transportation will remain the same for the upcoming school year, and we’re hopeful this decision stands. 🙏

That said, I will not delete this petition in case the city revisits the proposed changes. If needed, we’ll be ready to raise our voices again and protect what matters most — our kids’ safety and well-being.

Thank you all for your support. Let’s stay informed and connected. 💪👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

To: City of Aventura / Aventura City of Excellence School
From: Concerned Parents and Guardians of Aventura City of Excellence School

We, the undersigned parents, guardians, and concerned citizens of Aventura, FL, strongly oppose the decision to combine elementary and middle school students on the same afternoon bus routes.

This change raises serious and unaddressed concerns about student safety, supervision, and age-appropriate environments.

Beyond safety and age-appropriateness, there are several other serious concerns with the new bus plan:

• Parental Restrictions: Prohibiting families from dropping children off in the morning and having them bused home limits parental choice and flexibility.
• Bus Overcrowding: Reports of buses already operating over capacity — with students sitting on floors — raise immediate red flags about compliance and safety.
• Increased Traffic: As more families opt out of using the bus, we anticipate longer carpool lines and heavier traffic, making the situation more chaotic and unsafe for everyone.

While we understand the decision isn't final, it is critical we raise our voices before final decisions are made. 

Every child deserves a safe, respectful, and developmentally appropriate ride home. This decision compromises that.

Please sign below to support this petition.

Sincerely,
Concerned Parents of Aventura City of Excellence School

SUPPORTING AND CREDIBLE SOURCES

Real Harm Has Happened

• Georgia (April 2025): Seven students, ranging from 5 to 14 years old, were charged with battery after allegedly attacking a 7-year-old classmate on a school bus. The bus driver was also charged for failing to intervene or report the incident. Source
• Indiana (March 2025): A mother boarded her son's school bus and, along with her teenage children, assaulted a 14-year-old student accused of bullying her son. The incident underscores the volatility that can arise from unresolved bullying issues on buses. Source
• In Pender County, NC, a 6-year-old girl was reportedly assaulted on a shared bus route. Source
• In Broken Arrow, OK, a 12-year-old was attacked by another student while on the bus. Source 
  
  

🚨 Top Concerns:
Increased Risk of Bullying and Harassment, and Worsened Behavioral Challenges

• A joint report by RTI International and the National Association for Pupil Transportation found that 25% of bus drivers report frequent bullying. Source
• Bullying Hotspots: According to the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, school buses are among the locations where bullying frequently occurs, partly due to limited adult supervision. Source
• A poll by School Bus Fleet found that 71% of transportation officials believe middle schoolers present the most difficult behavioral challenges. Younger students are developmentally unprepared to handle these dynamics. Source
• School Buses as High-Risk Environments for Bullying: Harvard research indicates that buses, often lacking adequate adult supervision, are prime settings for bullying. The confined space and mixed-age groups can exacerbate power imbalances, making younger students particularly vulnerable. Source

🧠 Developmental Considerations & Emotional Impact
Elementary school students are still in their formative years, building emotional resilience and social understanding. Being surrounded by teens discussing or displaying mature topics can cause:

• Anxiety and confusion, and Emotional Distress: Witnessing or being subjected to bullying can cause anxiety, fear, and a sense of insecurity among younger students.
• Premature exposure to sex, violence, and vulgarity
• Feelings of fear and isolation

Age-Inappropriate Exposure

Documented cases have shown elementary students being exposed to sexually explicit language, violence, and harmful behavior when placed on shared buses with older students.

✅ Our Request
We respectfully demand that the City of Aventura and Aventura City of Excellence take immediate action to:

• Reinstate Separate Bus Routes for elementary and middle school students.
• Ensure age-appropriate supervision on all buses if temporary mixing is unavoidable.
• Involve parents in transportation decision-making going forward.