A petition urging the Conroe Independent School District to provide bus service to all students despite distance is gaining some traction.

Woodlands resident Matt Beasley, who also serves as chief of staff for Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack, started the petition on Change.org Saturday. As of Sunday morning, the petition had 180 supporters.

However, CISD officials say providing transportation all students would be too costly.

Beasley said he lives within the one-mile radius of Powell Elementary and does not qualify for bus service under the district's policy. That means his wife Kelli must walk or drive their kindergarten student to and from school each day all while juggling an infant and toddler.

"If she were employed, she couldn't do this," he said. "It doesn't seem fair."

Beasley, who recently addressed the school board regarding the issue, added he is paying the same in taxes but not getting the same service as others.

Noack, who signed the petition, agrees all students should have equal bus service. He added he also lives within the one-mile radius.

"As commissioner, we receive a lot of complaints this time of year and throughout the year about the number of cars to wait on the side of the roadway due to the number of students being driven to school primarily because they don't have bus services," he said noting in The Woodlands the dense population means a large number of students within that one-mile range. "That is a lot of students that don't have bus service and the campuses aren't designed to keep the stacking on the campus.

"For me it is a safety standpoint as commissioner. As a taxpayer, we all deserve the same services."

According to CISD board of trustees President Melanie Bush, when school funding was cut in 2009 the state mandated it would only pay for transportation for students more than two miles from their school. However, CISD decided it would cover the cost in order to drop that transportation requirement to just one mile.

"We bus students in the one-to-two mile area without funding from the state," she said. "Transportation dollars (from the state) cover beyond the two-mile mark. CISD is committed to the students' safety that is why we only have the one-mile."

Bush said there are some areas that even though students are in the one-mile area, they are provided bus service because the road conditions, like along Texas 105, are unsafe.

Bush said changing that policy would require more buses and drivers which would add millions to the district's budget.

Beasley said the petition will be delivered to the CISD Board of Trustees. Currently, the district has no plans to change the policy.

To view the petition visit http://bit.ly/2vScFfI.