After two students were shot at a bus stop in front of Woodward High School near the busy intersection of Reading Rd and Seymour Ave last Tuesday, Cincinnati Public School leaders are considering moving some of the Metro bus stops typically used by students to different locations.
At the district's school board meeting Monday, a grandparent addressed the drive-by shooting asking for a change that will make students safer on school grounds.
The grandparent says one of her grandchildren was near the bus stop when the shooting happened and used his hoodie to stop the bleeding of one of the victims. She claims her grandchildren have not returned to school since the shooting because they no longer feel safe.
The two students that were shot were taken to the hospital and are recovering from their injuries.
In response, Superintendent Iranetta Wright said she had visited Woodward High School earlier Monday to talk with students about the incident and hear from them about potential solutions.
Wright says the one solution students suggested the most was moving the bus stop away from the main intersection to a location on the high school's campus where students could have more supervision while they wait for transportation and don't have to stand next to a busy street.
Tuesday's shooting incident was not the first for Woodward this year. In February, another student was shot close to the school and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Board member Eve Bolton pointed out that these shootings occurred close to the school's dismissal time and says the district and its partners need to find a solution to this safety issue.
"We have a critical issue at dismissal," Bolton said. "We are releasing hundred and thousands of young people at the end of a school day. We have to have the city help us, and we have to have SORTA and Metro make a commitment to the safety of our kids and those neighborhoods."
While adding a bus stop for students on campus allows students to stay closer to the school while they wait for transportation, Wright says having Metro buses stop on school grounds can create other risks since it would bring bus riders not associated with the school onto the campus.
Still, Wright says she will take this suggestion from the students to representatives from the city, law enforcement, and SORTA Wednesday to discuss possible solutions.
