It has been a challenging start to the school year for one district in Texas. Classes began on August 5, 2025, in the Cleveland Independent School District, and before the first full week of school was finished, two buses transporting Cleveland ISD students reportedly crashed in separate incidents. The shocking news has concerned both parents and community members, who are now worried about student safety.
The first crash occurred on August 11, while transporting 59 students from Cleveland High School and Cleveland Ninth Grade Center, KHOU reported. The bus came to a stop on its side in a ditch on FM 1010. Emergency responders tended to all students on board and took 36 of them to Kingwood Medical Center and Cleveland Medical Center for evaluation. The district reported no serious injuries in that crash.
The second accident occurred on August 13 at FM 1010 and County Road 347, per KHOU. All 58 students onboard during the rollover crash were taken to HCA Houston Healthcare Cleveland for evaluation, but no one was seriously injured.
Marisol Castillo told KHOU that she’d just registered her children in the district the morning of the second crash. A short time later, she came upon the accident scene.
“I was coming through, heading back home, and we saw the whole chaos,” she told the news outlet. “It was concerning because I put them as bus riders, and now I’m thinking about it.”
The Cleveland school district shared a statement regarding the two bus accidents on its Facebook page.
“This has been a difficult week for our Cleveland ISD family. We experienced two separate bus accidents, and while we are thankful there were no life-threatening injuries, some of our students required additional medical care. Our hearts are with each student, their families, and our transportation team,” the statement read.
“We are grateful for the quick response of emergency personnel, the dedication of our staff, and the support of our community. Together, we remain committed to caring for and protecting every child in our district,” the statement concluded.
The statement received mixed reactions from parents.
“Instead of making a ‘heartfelt’ post via social media, prove to us parents we can put our trust in you,” one parent criticized. “Y’all know EXACTLY what I’m talking about too!”
“This is one of the reasons I don’t feel safe putting my children in a bus, praying for all kids who were affected,” another person commented.
“As Cleveland ISD parents, we believe we have the right to know the results of this investigation. We trust our children’s safety to you, and these incidents raise serious concerns,” one parent wrote. “More training for drivers. Stronger supervision and enforcement of safety rules. More buses on the road to reduce rushed driving between campuses.
“Investment of our school tax dollars into safety equipment and transportation improvements,” the concerned parent continued. “Two accidents with the same ending is unacceptable. Someone must be held accountable. Our children’s safety must come first.”
Others believe the school district deserves some grace.
“These are all just Growing Pains if you ask me. We are making strides this year with a new superintendent and we will get through this,” one comment on the district’s statement reads. “Glad the students and drivers are ok and that we can learn from these and look forward to the feature! We Are Cleveland! Let’s all Join and pray it goes up from here!”
Both accidents remain under investigation.
