A secondary pupil faces a daily marathon journey to school after all three of his preferred options were rejected by West Sussex County Council.
Kevin Whitehead said his son will join Steyning Grammar School, which is 13 miles from the family home in Southwater — a daily 26-mile round trip.
Single parent Mr Whitehead said it will be “almost impossible” to get his son to school on time.
West Sussex County Council told the BBC it would not apologise for failing to find a place for a student closer to their home.
“My youngest son will still be going to primary school in Horsham, so being able to take both my children to school and get to work on time is going to be almost impossible,” said Mr Whitehead.
Lousie Friend, another parent, told BBC Radio Sussex her son would need to wait 50 minutes at the side of a dual carriageway to catch his daily bus to school.
Around 200 children are thought to be missing out on their preferred school due to a shortage of places.
The council faced similar issues last year when children in Shoreham were sent to a school in Worthing.
Jacquie Russell, the council’s cabinet member for children and young people, said this year’s shortage is due to an increased birth rate and because parents want their children to attend mixed-sex schools.
She told BBC Radio Sussex: “As a county council, we do have to see whether the trend is a blip.
“It’s not really a case, this year, of apologising. Last year, our apology was completely justified. It was quite clear there was an awareness that there was a bulge class coming to the fore.”
Ms Russell said the situation in Shoreham has improved on last year, adding: “Do not underestimate the work the officers have put in.”
A consultation into changing Millais School, in Horsham, into a mixed-sex school is underway.
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