HOUSTON – Every weekday at James DeAnda Elementary School around 3 p.m. you will see students dodging semi-trucks, cars and SUVs while on their walk home.
"We have children walking on the side of the street," said Rosario Alanis, whose son and daughter attend school at DeAnda. She's worried someone is going to get hit because there are no sidewalks.
"I've seen children walk on the edge of the street and I've seen some of them fall down the ditch," she said. "It's very hard for them to get by with an 18-wheeler coming through."
The area Alanis is referring to is Ballantine Street. It's North of the school, which is in the 7900 block of Almeda-Genoa.Â
Crossing guards are in place to help the kids cross Almeda-Genoa but once they're on the other side of the street it's a whole different story.
"It's very frustrating and nerve wracking," Alanis said.
The solution may seem simple...put in a sidewalk and everyone will be safer. But the Houston Independent School District doesn't own the property on Ballantine and a spokesperson said that area across from the school is out of its jurisdiction.
The city of Houston's Public Works department has sent crews out to evaluate the area. The review process includes looking at the drainage ditch, location of utility lines and lack of right-of-way. Local 2 is told that process should be completed soon.
"You just have to be careful and hopefully they don't get run over by someone," said Alanis.