This browser does not support the Video element.
Missing bikes at Palm Bay school: What's being done?
After multiple students' bikes were stolen from school property at Bayside High School in Palm Bay, parents now want a solution. Parents say they've spent hundreds of dollars on new bikes and want the school to solve the problem.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Families in Brevard County are demanding action after a string of bike thefts at Bayside High School.
Parents tell FOX 35 that thieves are coming onto school property during school hours, leaving students without transportation and parents with hundreds of dollars in replacement costs.
What we know:
For students at Bayside High, the school day isn’t ending well when their only way home has vanished. While the school provides a fenced-in, locked area for bike storage, parents argue the space is inadequate, forcing students to lock their bikes in vulnerable areas.
After several bikes went missing from Bayside High School, parents area holding the school leaders accountable.
Nick Vadney, a Bayside father, says his family has been targeted multiple times this school year alone.
"I think it’s ridiculous," Vadney said. "The first one got vandalized. The second one got stolen."
The situation has become so precarious that his son has changed his daily routine just to keep his property safe. He leaves an hour earlier to try and make sure he gets a spot in the fenced-in space.
Rachelle Dugan, another Bayside mother, shared similar frustrations after her child’s bike was stolen. She believes the current setup is an invitation for thieves.
"It’s super frustrating," Dugan said.
Brevard County Schools responds
What they're saying:
Both Vadney and Dugan say their attempts to resolve the issue with school leadership were met with indifference.
"When I called the school about it, it wasn’t really taken very seriously," Dugan claimed.
In a statement to FOX 35, a Brevard Public Schools (BPS) spokesperson denied that storage capacity was the root of the problem:
"We have spoken with the school and they confirmed that bike storage is not an issue," BPS said. "There is ample space for students to secure their bikes both inside the designated area and along the outside gate."
After several bikes went missing from Bayside High School, parents area holding the school leaders accountable.
However, Brevard School Board Chair Matt Susin doesn’t agree with the district’s official stance, siding with the parents after reviewing the complaints and seeing photos of the current storage space.
"That is something we have to address right now," Susin said. "We need to protect their possessions while they’re at school. The school should be able to have a fenced-in area and somebody be able to take care of that."
What's next:
The push for better security is now focused on physical upgrades to the campus. Susin signaled his support for expanding the current fencing and installing cameras to monitor the area and deter potential thieves.
After several bikes went missing from Bayside High School, parents area holding the school leaders accountable.
For the parents involved, the solution is simple: the school must provide a basic level of security for the students' property.
"The school should be doing something to where the kids can feel safe to keep their bikes," Vadney said.
FOX 35 will continue to track the situation at Bayside High School to see if the district implements the security changes going forward.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from FOX 35's Esther Bower, a written statement from Brevard Public Schools and an interview with Brevard School Board Chair Matt Susin.