STANLY COUNTY, N.C. — For 10th grader Gabby Shnell, getting to school has always been the easy part. She takes the bus every single day in the morning and when coming back home. She said it's always been a simple concept until now.
A project by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has blocked off the exit her bus normally takes to pick her up and drop her off. The bus normally picked her up in front of her house.
According to Stanly County Schools, the bus can not safely turn around due to the construction, so the district changed her drop-off and pickup location.
“To be able to take the bus, I’ll have to walk to where my house is, 1.2 miles where the road is not closed which is the end of Pond Road," Gabby Shnell said.
She now has to leave her house around 5 a.m. to make it to her stop on time.
On my road, Pond Road, there are no lights. Everyone is still asleep," she said. "It's in the middle of the woods."
Gabby's father Michael told WCNC Charlotte this is a huge safety concern.
“It’s a long walk but also she is a young girl and you don’t want her down the road by herself," Michael Shnell said.
Shnell said both parents work long hours, so there is no way for them to drop off Gabby in the morning as they are already out the door. He also said he would lose a good chunk of money if he were to delay his start time.
WCNC Charlotte reached out to Stanly County Schools regarding the matter. The district sent this statement:
"Stanly County Schools was made aware of local construction by NCDOT that resulted in a road closure for approximately 2-3 weeks. The school system has evaluated the closure area and cannot safely turn the bus around to make individual house stops during the construction period. We have worked hard to provide multiple options for all families affected. We understand this has caused our families inconveniences, and we are committed to continue to work with all families to find viable solutions."
Michael Shnell said the only option the school provided was to push back her pickup time. He said that won't do because she still has to walk over a mile to get on the bus.
“As educators and people who we put in charge, they should be wanting to do whatever they can to keep us safe," Gabby Schnell said. "Being in that circumstance, I do not feel safe.”
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Michael Shnell said at this point, Gabby will only be going to school on the days he is off -- Fridays.
Stanly County Schools also told WCNC Charlotte the project is set to take between two to three weeks. The district said it is working to figure out another answer on how to get impacted students to campus.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.