Cedar Park Family Transportation to School

This is the email I sent that that grabbed the local Austin news' attention:

My name is Erin Kelp, and I'm reaching out to advocate for a single mom who is deaf. The family recently relocated to affordable housing in Cedar Park, but they're facing a transportation issue with her daughter, who is zoned to a public school within 2 miles. Unfortunately, the school refuses to provide transportation. Naree, the mom, doesn't have access to a car, and it's unlikely she will for some time. This leaves her daughter with the daunting prospect of either walking 45 minutes alone to school each way or relying on costly Uber/Lyft rides, which they simply cannot afford. There is no city bus transport with walking distance.

This family has already overcome numerous obstacles to get to this point, and I fear that without safe and reliable transportation, *****'s education will suffer. She is incredibly bright and capable, and it's beyond disheartening that her public school isn't providing the necessary support. I've reached out to Cedar Park High School and Leander Transportation Services, both of whom dismissed my concerns.

Ask any teacher in a Title I school about the areas for closing learning gaps, they'll likely mention attendance as the most critical. How can we expect our young learners to value education and dream big, if they can't rely on safe transportation to/from school?

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Since the news segment aired, I've been inundated with emails from community members eager to support this family until public transportation from the district is arranged. I'm currently awaiting a response from Leander ISD regarding a formal complaint I submitted on 2/8/24. While addressing this issue extends far beyond aiding just one student, I'm so encouraged by the outpouring of support and the opportunity to start making a difference, even on an individual level.

The goal is to gather $10,000 to help Naree acquire a car. This will not only allow her to safely transport her daughters to school but also facilitate her return to work. The funds will be used to either purchase a new car for Naree, or fix the old one.

You can find the news article here: Cedar Park mother struggles to get daughter to school