Everyday, thousands of kids gather at stops in the Kansas City metropolitan area, waiting and watching for their school buses. But who is watching them?

There are nearly 12,000 registered sex offenders living in Kansas and Missouri. A majority of them have committed crimes against children.

In Kansas, there are no restrictions on where sex offenders can live and work. In Missouri, they are legally restricted from living within 1,000 feet of schools and day care's.

But about children's bus stops?

A KCTV5 News Investigation examined just how many sex offenders are living near school bus stops.

"I'm appalled, and it's disturbing," said Cynthia Wheeler-Linden, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City, Mo., School District.

KCTV5 News obtained thousands of school bus stop locations in two metropolitan area districts on both sides of the state line. We then cross referenced that data with sex offender registries in Kansas and Missouri. The results were eye-opening.

"That's not something that we cross reference nor does the bus company cross reference," said Leigh Anne Neal, a spokeswoman for the Shawnee Mission School District.

In fact, the sex offender registry plays no role in where some school districts place bus stops.

Missouri Rep. Ron Casey has pushed for tougher sex offender legislation but said bus stops have never been factored into the equation.

"I have never been approached by a school administrator asking about a 1,000-foot rule, but I think it's extremely important that it be done," Casey said.

The Shawnee Mission School District has more than 100 bus routes serving 8,500 students each day. The buses are run by Durham School Services, the nation's third-largest bus company.

"The routes are established on an annual basis. We give the information to the bus company, and they generate the routes," Neal said.

In the Shawnee Mission School District, KCTV5 News found two bus stops with three or four sex offenders living within a 1,000 feet of the location.

Across state lines in Missouri, the results were even more unsettling. The data uncovered five bus stops with 14 or more sex offenders living within a 1,000-foot radius.

"The numbers are so high that it is startling and frightening as a parent of a small child to have to think about that," Wheeler-Linden said.

Surrounding a stop on 10th Street, there are 15 sex offenders, and 14 of them were convicted of sexual offenses against children between the ages of 5 and 15 -- offenses including rape, forcible sodomy and aggravated sexual assault.

"I will say it's disturbing to hear that from you," Wheeler-Linden said.

The most alarming location KCTV5 News found was on East Ninth Street, where 19 sex offenders live within 1,000 feet of a bus stop. Sixteen of them were convicted of sexual offenses against children -- offenses including child molestation and sexual battery against a 3-year-old.

"After today's conversation, I will go to legislative research and ask them to put together a bill that restricts it from within 1,000 foot of a bus stop," Casey said.

The Kansas City, Mo., School District will also re-examine its security practices, Wheeler-Linden said.

"I know that I can safely say on behalf of the school board and myself, that is something that we will definitely look to resolving immediately," Wheeler-Linden said.

But not all districts seem willing to alter their existing bus stop policies unless the law requires it.

"Based on the fact that the state doesn't have any restriction or limitation for where these folks can live and work," Neal said. "They have to live somewhere."

Casey said, "I think it's our moral obligation to see that the children are safe, and that's why I'm glad that you came."

KCTV5 News spoke to Durham School Services, and it said it would be easy to factor in the sex offender registry when mapping school bus routes, and that if it were required by law. it would comply.

Casey said a bill restricting sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of bus stops has been drafted and will be presented to lawmakers next session.