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Hayden — The Hayden School District won't cut bus service next year for students who live in town. Instead, the district plans to consolidate a number of stops to reduce the wear and tear on its buses and other vehicles that take children to and from school, Transportation Director Festus Hagins told the Hayden School Board on Wednesday night.

Hagins presented board members with a preliminary proposal to reduce the number of daily stops to 16 from its current 42.

Superintendent Greg Rockhold said he asked Hagins to begin working on consolidating the bus stops to avoid picking up and dropping off children every 100 yards - and in some cases right in front of their homes. That would save wear and tear on vehicles, saving the district money, he said.

"We're still picking up in town," Rockhold said. "We're not asking a child to cross (U.S.) Highway 40. We're trying to be more efficient."

Hagins said by eliminating some stops, some children would have to walk farther to get picked up. No child would have to walk more than a half-mile, nor would they have to cross U.S. 40. Some morning and afternoon stops differed to keep children off the highway.

The thought of their children walking a half-mile in the snow still left several of the parents who attended Wednesday's meeting feeling uneasy. They were especially concerned with the stops along U.S. 40.

"I don't think everyone should have a door-to-door stop; I'm not saying that at all," parent Selena Frentress said. "I think you have to consider the safety issue."

She said those safety issues stemmed from Hayden's lack of streetlights, sidewalks and crosswalks. In the winter, when the snow banks are as tall as she is, Frentress said there's nowhere to walk except on U.S. 40.

Amanda Archuleta, another parent, said she lived on U.S. 40 for five years and wouldn't ever consider sending her kids to a bus stop on the side of the highway.

"I don't think Highway 40 is even close to alright," she said.

Parent Leslie Hockaday circulated a petition when she first heard the rumor that the district was considering cutting bus service to students who live in town. She said more than 100 people signed the petition, citing safety as the No. 1 concern.

Lori Laird, whose 8-year-old grandson will attend Hayden Valley Elementary School next year, said even people who don't have children in Hayden schools signed the petition because of their apprehension about driving through town with children in the streets.

"The safety thing is our biggest concern," she said. "We don't have a problem with changing routes. We don't have a problem with combining some stops. We're concerned about safety for our kids."

Board members acknowledged the parents' concern for their children's safety and said they would try to work around them, maybe by moving the stops on U.S. 40 a block away from the highway.

"From the standpoint of busing, we need to find some balance between convenience and safety," board President Brian Hoza said.

Hagins said he was pleased with the input and reminded parents that his proposal could change throughout the summer. He said he would like to present a final proposal at the Aug. 19 board meeting before school starts.

But he admitted that with new students entering the district's schools, what he presents the board then could still change. Last year, he said, the final bus route wasn't approved until September, after school started.

While most parents in attendance seemed amenable to the consolidation of bus stops if their concerns about safety were alleviated, some weren't.

Hagins' preliminary proposal eliminated a stop at Jefferson Avenue and Pine Street in front of Robin Richards' day care business. She expressed concern with 4- and 5-year-old children walking to her day care from the nearest bus stop one block away.

"I'm asking you not to change my bus stop," she said. "I feel in my heart, looking at all you board members, you're not going to let kids walk on 40."