Laura Jourdan's son Mathew is excited about starting Kindergarten next week.

“I think I will be more of a wreck than he will,” she said.

But talk of Mathew having to walk a quarter of a mile to catch the bus frightens her.

“I think the longer they have to walk the more risk there is involved in that,” she said.

This year students heading back to Round Rock schools will have to walk farther to the bus stop.

Middle and High School students will now have to walk up to half a mile.

“We had to streamline the service and eliminate some stops make kids walk a little farther,” said Dan Roberts, Executive Director of Round Rock Independent School District.

Roberts blamed the cuts on skyrocketing fuel costs. He said the district is paying twice the amount for fuel than it was a couple of years ago. 

“It went from us being, ‘O my Lord what are we going to do,’ to a plan of, ‘I think we can survive,’” said Roberts.

In the past hilly neighborhoods got more bus stops, but now that won't be the case.

However, the district says no student will have to cross busy highways or dangerous streets. 

“We're still addressing students’ safety. We want their kids to get to and from school safely,” he said.

But at the playground a mother says her boy's first day of school is tough enough.

“You don't want to see your baby go,” said Jourdan.

Jourdan will be taking him to school.