[dateline] -- Who's watching your children when they get on or off the school bus? Some parents worry it could be a sex offender.
In fact, an NBC 4 news poll with Survey USA shows that 72 percent of those polled are very concerned that a sex offender is living in their area.
While state law prohibits offenders from living near schools, it doesn't protect your child's bus stop, NBC 4's Ana Jackson reported.
The journey home after school starts at the bus stop at the intersection of Cable and Central avenues. It takes Christina Bartolovich and her daughters past boarded up homes, graffiti-covered alleys and near the homes of convicted sex offenders.
"I would never let my daughter walk home. Who knows who could pick up your daughter?" Bartolovich said. "Every month, about every week, I get a paper in the mail with the sex offenders. I keep them up on my refrigerator just so then I know who to look for."
Other parents are just as leery of the people living in the neighborhood.
"My daughter begs me -- because she's very independent -- begs me to let her walk home alone," said Anne Haverfield. "There's too many sex offenders."
It's a common concern in any school district. In this case, NBC 4 found 15 sex offenders living within a three-block radius of the bus stop. Parents question whether there is a better alternative for their children.
"Especially the kindergarteners -- they should be picked up at the front door instead of being picked up at a bus stop," Bartolovich said.
Door-to-door service may not be realistic, but you might be surprised that school districts will look into sex offender concerns.
"We will verify there is a registered sex offender at the location. If it's directly at the bus stop or directly across the street, we will change it," said Steve Simmons, Director of Transportation for Columbus City Schools.
Simmons said hundreds of bus routes are changed every day in the Columbus City School District. NBC 4 showed him the bus stop at Cable and Central avenues and asked if he could change it. Simmons said that sometimes, changing the bus stop isn't possible.
"If you move it from point A to point B, it may affect the other students within a half-mile walk rule," Simmons said.
Simmons pointed out that the bus stop is within the walk zone for Dana Elementary, so many other children are faced with the same challenge.
In this case, a move is not possible. But concerned parents need only to call the school district to notify them if a sex offender is too close.
Batrolovich said she'll be at the bus stop every day.
"I'll stand in the rain for a half an hour if I have to," she said.
RESOURCES:
Complete List Of Columbus City School Bus Stops | Search For Sex Offenders By Location
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