PROJECT GREEN

Waving Goodbye to the Bus

As fuel prices rise, some districts are updating an old method of getting children to school.

By Caitlin McDevitt | NEWSWEEK

Published Sep 6, 2008

From the magazine issue dated Sep 15, 2008

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Discuss

Posted By: formernewyorker @ 09/16/2008 3:25:35 PM

Comment: II should not have been surprised. Trust newsweek to take a situation and distort it to fit its agenda. Columbia Missouri's program of children walking to school is a FITNESS program called the "Walking School Bus". It was not started as a response to rising fuel costs but if it can serve parts of town that are impacted by reduced bus routes that is wonderful. The author's intentional failure to mention the origins of the program as a Fitness for kids plan and misrepresent it as an environmental evolution is poor journalism. The most shining example of misreporting is the quote of the poor first grader in the last few sentences who has to take the "long morning hike" on a "really big hill" that the reader is led to believe is being forced to walk due to high costs and budget cuts. The fact is that the child's parents voluntarily signed him up for this walking program and that if he waits another 10 minutes he could take the bus that will pass right by his house. It is a great program that was poorly represented by an author that could probably use a good walk.
Posted By: chickiebabe @ 09/15/2008 2:39:31 AM

Comment: Walking to school up a hill, give me a break, walking 1/2 mile to school is good for the kids, after school when they are outside playing how many miles do they cover? Could be a good thing for the children to walk and it might trim some of our obese children and they'll be healthier for it. How many out here walked 2 miles or more to school in rain and -20 below zero. We're still alive.
Posted By: Twopence @ 09/13/2008 2:52:47 AM

Comment: We have to pay for our children to ride the bus. We live almost six miles from school, so walking really isn't a practical and safe solution. While I could drive them to school, that would cost us more than a bus pass. That would also add to the congestion around the school as well.

What's frustrating is that they are REQUIRED to attend school and we have to pay for busing costs all the while millions of tax dollars are being spent to help those who "can't" speak the English language, as well as all the give-away programs like free breakfasts and computer classes for the parents and all the goodies for the folks who have little ones under five years of age. Some of those folks have learnt the ropes of the system and milk it for all its worth.

Those who ARE responsible for themselves are the very ones who are penalized for doing so! I have no problem with temporary help for those who need it, BUT making a lifestyle of relying on others is just plain WRONG!
Posted By: Twopence @ 09/13/2008 2:47:03 AM

Comment: It IS frustrating to have to dole out over $200 for our two children to ride the bus to school every semester!

They ARE required to attend school. They live almost six miles from school, so walking is not an option. I could drive them, but that would take a chunk out of our living expenses.

The frustrating thing is that there are so many freebie programs to "help" out the families that WON'T learn English, have come to expect free programs to feed their children, are given freebies like car seats and free computer classes.

It's like society rewards those who WON'T help themselves and continue to pop out kid after kid. They have learned to milk the system and milk it well they do!!
Posted By: julie23 @ 09/13/2008 12:14:43 AM

Comment: I understand that "back in the day," everyone walked to school, but with all the asthma and many other diseases kids have, it would be very difficult. Especially where I live, the elementary school is about one to two miles outside of town. There are also giant coal trucks speeding up and down the roads. Personally, I wouldn't want any 1st and 2nd grade kids walking on a narrow shoulder while these coal trucks, construction vehicles, and normal everyday vehicles are speeding by. It would be like sending them to go play in traffic.
Posted By: julie23 @ 09/13/2008 12:07:46 AM

Comment: Where I live, it would be almost impossible for kids to make it to the elementary school by walking. There are big, eighteen-wheel coal trucks barreling their way though town and 9 out of ten of those coal trucks go by both the high school and the elementary school. At the high school, many of us carpool, and quite a bit of people walk. But unlike the high school, which is actually in town, the elementary school is another mile or more away. And honestly, how many people want tiny 1st & 2nd graders walking on a narrow shoulder, with giant coaltrucks, cement truck, and many, many constuction vehicles speeding by? Not me. I am in my 11th grade of high school and I wouldn't think most of MY grade could make it, let alone, pre-k and kindergarten kids.
Posted By: kktippie @ 09/13/2008 12:03:14 AM

Comment: ya and what about those who have asthma walking could kill them
Posted By: powerofk @ 09/12/2008 10:55:52 PM

Comment: When I was in school, just about everyone rode the bus. But it was a VERY rural district - more kids were enrolled in the schools than there were people living in the town the schools were located in. On my bus, my brother, sister, and I were the closest stop to our school - about 10 miles away.
Posted By: Dr.Ob-gynmom @ 09/12/2008 9:54:52 PM

Comment: I love the idea of a walking school bus. With so many kids struggling with obesity its just seems like the most logical thing to do. As for the stay at home mom dag1005, you sound a little bitter. It is a blessing to be able to stay at home. Why not share that blessing with the other kids in the neighborhood? I am a working mom and am blessed to have wonderful and supportive neighbors where I live. The next time you are shopping, going to the doctor's office, talking to your children's teachers, remember many are working moms.
Posted By: busload772 @ 09/12/2008 6:23:58 PM

Comment: I can certainly understand the rising fuel costs but speaking from the point of view as a school bus driver myself it is a shame to cut drivers jobs as most of us dont work an 8 hour day anyways and i retired after 14 yrs of driving and went back to work last fall and enjoy it once more. I enjoy the job and like i say you have to have a knack for the job to stick with it, its rewarding and God has blessed me alot thru all the yrs. It is the safest mode of transporting the kids to school and think about it the buses hold as much as 70+ kids so why cut the buses. Kids learn to ride the buses and parents know they are safe on the buses as we are professionals behind the wheel and I really care about the kids and doing my job as excellant as possible. I am in my 16th yr and prefer to think the parents feel safe knowing i have experience behind the wheel of the buses. I really like my job!~! please support us drivers in all we do!~! Its a rewarding job and people have no idea whats all involved, it seems to be a thankless job but God rewards!~! Thanks to the kids who want us back as their driver and parents who praise us. PLEASE KEEP OUR JOBS AVAILABLE TO THE DRIVERS AND SAFE AVAILABLE TRANSPORTATION TO ALL STUDENTS. THANK YOU.
Posted By: sciencegeek @ 09/12/2008 6:18:40 PM

Comment: I just remembered this but in our district they cancled the after school buses. And I stay after almost everyday, and this year so far, I've generally been the only student to stay after, as apposed to the 15 or so who stayed after last year. Because no one can get a ride home at 4:00. I mean, it's an after-school bus so that's better than cutting buses off of the morning and afternoon routes.
Posted By: dag1005 @ 09/12/2008 5:41:53 PM

Comment: Hey most other articles are talking about the obesity of our kids anyway. But 1) Im wondering what parts of town they chose to cancel and which ones they chose to keep....2) What are the schools prepared to put in place as far as the kids safety? YOu cant just cancel trasnportation and hope that all parents have enough sense to go through a safe route and safety befor esending their kid off on a 1/2 mile hike! 3) We live in a very good neighborhood six blocks from our kids' school and we wont let them walk because their elementary is on the same block as the high school and all roads are busy in the morning with teenage drivers with new licenses and some others who should have never received licenses to begin with. 4) As far as carpooling, I know how that would work RIGHT NOW...Myself and one other mom would be doing all of the driving as all the other mothers work! We happen to be two of the same people who dont have work as an excuse when it comes time to volunteer for everything else!
Posted By: dag1005 @ 09/12/2008 5:33:02 PM

Comment: Now...will taxpayers get a break through all of the buses they dropped off the route. That way they can take that savings and put it in their own tank when it is 20 below and the kids need a ride?!! Or how much more burden are governments, who misspend money, going to put on all of us before they go to the source and get big oil to stop gouging us? Hey food prices are going up too, maybe we should do away with lunch programs as well! Mom and Dad can go to work an hour late so they can pack their kids' lunches. OH NO that wont work we will just burn the candle at both ends for an even longer amount of time! LETS HEAP IT ALL ON THE WORKING CLASS we will work more and get supported less and less!
Posted By: Lisa Sue 1 @ 09/12/2008 4:10:01 PM

Comment: Let's put our ideas together & come up with some solution(s) Here in Delaware, our local ridesharing organization has a program called the School Pool Program. This program is a carpool matching program for parents of Delaware school children. There lies the answer. The schools could potentially send the entire school roster to one of these organizations (where all personal information is kept confidential)and the ridesharing program could match every family together to form carpools. I am employed by one of these organizations, and many families here in Delaware take advantage of it. Check with the local Transportation Management Association in your area.
Posted By: pfasolo @ 09/12/2008 3:57:34 PM

Comment: I always walked to school and never complained. Not even when it was snowy. Neighbors would sit on their porches in the morning to make sure we got there okay- even if they didn't have kids of their own going to the school.
Posted By: Okiegirl @ 09/12/2008 3:08:45 PM

Comment: I live in the 3rd largest town in Oklahoma and Our school district leaders in their wisdom descided this year to restrict bus riders to anyone outside of 1.5 miles from the school. This means some elementary school kids are walking and crossing 4 lane major streets to get to school. The district also refrained from providing crossing guards all in the name of saving (get this) 250,000.00 dollars. This is a paltry sum compared to the injury or God forbid death of a child injured while walking to school. There was even in our local paper of a woman forced to quit her job so that her 2nd and 4th grade children would not have to walk the 1.4 miles to school. I feel as if this is carrying things too far and Hope that our city leaders can see the light before it is too late for some poor child. I have no problem letting my kids walk as I only live 3 blocks from the school but 1.5 miles is a bit far!!
Posted By: robinm2009 @ 09/12/2008 3:02:06 PM

Comment: Although walking to school is great I have to wonder how attendance will be effected by rain and snow, especially for older students who may pretend to walk to school and simply go back home.
Posted By: Okiegirl @ 09/12/2008 3:01:01 PM

Comment: We live in the 3rd largest town in Oklahoma and Our school district recently cut back on bus transportation from outside of 1 mile to outside of 1.5 miles for the criteria for who gets to ride the bus. We are having elementary school kids having to cross major 4 lane streets and the school district doesn't provide crossing gaurds. One parent in our local paper even told of quitting her job so that her kids would not have to walk the 1.4 miles to the school. I feel as if our town has carried this a bit far to only save 250,000.00. This is far less than a law suit over a young child being injured or God forbid Killed by crossing major intersections. I have no problem with my kids walking as I did if the school is a reasonable distance but this is getting out of hand. And that is my rant for the day!! Thank you very much.
- Posted By: lookinginfromoutside @ 09/12/2008 3:24:55 PM
  
  Comment: Let's get the city planners, traffic engineers and others involved in his debat, too. It's about living, working and being able to get around. The US is far advanced in relation to building and planning for those with mobility problems, but has forgotten how to build a town for living in the new era of expensive gas. I am deeply disturbed when I visit suburban America and try to WALK to the grocery or drugstore. The distance is not and should not be a problem, but no sidewalks, crosswalks or pedestrian lights at suburban mall intersections are the problem.
Posted By: sciencegeek @ 09/12/2008 2:51:11 PM

Comment: Only 1/2 a mile? In our district if you live within a mile and a half you walk. I live three and a half miles from our school and I ride my bike everyday.
Posted By: owlspiritwoman @ 09/12/2008 2:24:18 PM

Comment: Well Small town neighbor maybe neighbors should get together and help each other out by getting each others children to school. I walk my grandson four days a week because my daughter and son in law leave for work early. It gives us some good time together and good exercise, too. Sure I could drive but with the cost of gas I figured it would give us some alone time and some heart healthy quality time.
- Posted By: chickiebabe @ 09/15/2008 2:51:01 AM
  
  Comment: What a fantastic answer. Special time together is something so many have forgotten about.
Posted By: owlspiritwoman @ 09/12/2008 2:22:51 PM

Comment: Well Small town neighbor maybe neighbors should get together and help each other out by getting each others children to school. I take my grandson four days a week because my daughter and son in law leave for work early. It gives us some good time together too.
Posted By: Xenobiologista @ 09/12/2008 2:12:44 PM

Comment: A girl who grew up in Germany told me that kids in elementary school have to take bicycle road safety courses. School districts in the US should institute these in parallel with bus cutbacks and fitness programs.
Posted By: WendyS @ 09/12/2008 1:52:54 PM

Comment: 1/2 a mile to school is nothing. Yes, these kids should be walking or biking for their health. It is a good idea if at least 1 parent walks with the bunch. I do feel for them when the snow and rain comes. I was bused 15 miles to school when busing was mandatory in Los Angeles in the 70's. I hated being at the bus stop at 6:45 a.m. and that long ride to and from school every day.
Posted By: sheltieman @ 09/12/2008 1:34:52 PM

Comment: In the first place Nia and her neighbors shouldn't have had a bus ride being only a 1/2 a mile from school.
When I went to elementary school I was a half mile from school we ether rode our bikes or walked, and when it rained mom would give the bunch of us to school. So no I don't feel sorry for them just shows how lazy kids are getting.
Posted By: sheltieman @ 09/12/2008 1:33:50 PM

Comment: In the first place Nia and her neighbors shouldn't have had a bus ride being only a 1/2 a mile from school.
When I went to elementary school I was a half mile from school we ether rode our bikes or walked, and when it rained mom would give the bunch of us to school. So no I don't feel sorry for them just shows how lazy kids are getting.
Posted By: sheltieman @ 09/12/2008 1:33:18 PM

Comment: In the first place Nia and her neighbors shouldn't have had a bus ride being only a 1/2 a mile from school.
When I went to elementary school I was a half mile from school we ether rode our bikes or walked, and when it rained mom would give the bunch of us to school. So no I don't feel sorry for them just shows how lazy kids are getting.
Posted By: vincent45 @ 09/12/2008 1:29:42 PM

Comment: Whatever happened to "neighborhood schooling" where the kids went to school to the campus closest to their house?

In California, busing costs taxpayers approximately 3 to 5 billion per year. In our district, the school buses use approximately 10 to 15 million dollars of fuel per year.
Wouldn't it be nice to have cleaner air and more dollars into the school's budget by making "neighborhood schooling" mandatory? As the article suggested, the kids walking to school is better for their health too as the recess time they are given is slowly taken away.
Posted By: joetraderny @ 09/12/2008 1:07:18 PM

Comment: that is bullshit....my whole neighborhood is within a mile of school and every *()&& morning suvs and hummers with one or maybe two kids has to go so they can create a traffic jam in front of school....who are these idiots performing to?? they are usually bitter looking people, usually "elitist" and somehow probably vote GOP? ironical, isn't it???
Posted By: joetraderny @ 09/12/2008 1:05:26 PM

Comment: diesel exhaust stays closer to the ground and your kids breathe it more in wintertime too....especially when schools don't force drivers to shut off their buses, so they idle and kids in the school breathe it, I especially love when schools are located right next to interstates, brilliant planning, create a bunch of health problems for kids who are already inundated with greasy nutritionless fast food and then who will be overwhelmed by bush's messes which are still ongoing, with the recent doubling by a few bill for his massive taxpayer funded bailouts.....EVERYBODY can stand to walk a few miles....does your town require you to shovel your sidewalks?? if yes, then you can walk a half mile.....

it is the spoiled kids who will get hurt by this as gas will get more and more expensive due to peak oil, but if you accept mcbush whiner logic, then vote for him and you will really be whining very shortly about having to walk.....and not being able to get rid of your bloated SUV and your bloated upside-down mcmansion....

why don't we start with stop wasting trillions of gallons of fuel daily in meaningless wars for revenge overseas and stop burdening taxpayers bailing out banks which only benefit China so we can further have our standards of living reduced....pretty soon we can just paint a picture of a school box on a cardboard box and pretend it is a real "bus" just like we pretend mcsame is a reformer and pretend there are WMDs in Iraq and pretend bush actually cares about American citizens...

git r dun
Posted By: darkwinds @ 09/12/2008 1:03:01 PM

Comment: Whatever happened to bus stops for those that live too far away from the schools to walk. The buses would have shorter routes and the kids would still get some exercise. The kids that live within a short distance to school can walk on to school. Our kids have become too lazy and obese. This could be a solution to two problems.
Posted By: luvmybebebugs @ 09/12/2008 12:53:56 PM

Comment: A half mile in a Minnesota winter feels much further!
Posted By: trevorsmom @ 09/12/2008 12:53:22 PM

Comment: Walking to school could save money and attack the child obesity problem at the same time, unless the parents weaken and take the whining kids to school by car.
Posted By: girlhug @ 09/12/2008 12:50:00 PM

Comment: uh uh inGreen Bay Wisconsin it gets to be an average of 30 below with windchill average for a couple weeks. Buses are not allowed to take kids living within 2 miles, or "walking distance." 4 miles in the winter here is not walking distance. There ought to be a bus option. Besides a bus goes right by here to take kindergarteners downtown and could pick up the other kids for a lift. None of these kids are fat: far from it. For those of you feeding the weightloss theory over the low budget, can you get off your fat behind to walk 4 miles through negative 30 degrees or do you warm up your car and run to it. It is the poor kids that get hurt by this.
Posted By: ChristiB123 @ 09/12/2008 12:49:51 PM

Comment: What if you live a 3 mile commute and you have working parents. I hardly see you leting your kid walk, or ride a bike with all the drivers and crime. My child is only 10 and i would not let him do either without an supervised adult that i trusted.
Posted By: cherfer @ 09/12/2008 12:49:08 PM

Comment: They were talking a bus to school A HALF MILE? how lazy can you get?
Posted By: ChristiB123 @ 09/12/2008 12:48:07 PM

Comment: What if you have a 3 mile or longer commute and you have working parents???
Posted By: gmautotech @ 09/12/2008 12:11:43 PM

Comment: All the school consolidation prevents probably 90% of people walking to school around where I live. My kids are on a bus nearly an hour 1 way. There are 2 schools very near by that are shut down, its a shame!!
Posted By: mojo9982 @ 09/12/2008 12:02:45 PM

Comment: look at it this way the national avg for childhood obesity should go down. and we are potentially creating a healthier child with less instances of illness
Posted By: mojo9982 @ 09/12/2008 12:01:28 PM

Comment: look at it this way the national avg for childhood obesity has to go down and we could possibly creat a healthier generation than our own.
Posted By: Daisymay2003 @ 09/12/2008 10:40:44 AM

Comment: Walking never killed anyone! I walked when I was a kid and I loved it. It was a good opportunity to socialize with my friends and to make new ones. We walked whether it was raining (they do make umbrellas) and we walked in the snow (they do make snow boots) and I have lived to tell the story!
Walking 1 mile both ways is good exercise and it also saves our tax dollars! I say every school district should make this change!
Posted By: oldretiredschoolbusdriver @ 09/12/2008 10:27:24 AM

Comment: It's time schools extended their routes further from school. I drove a school bus for 22 yrs. and tho't that some of the stops were way to close to the schools. It doesn't hurt kids to walk at least a mile. To make it safe for them, the parents need to be sure they are well schooled on not taking rides from ANYONE, and walking with a group. When the weather is bad, the parents, who are stay at home parents, need to decide who will be the one to take them to school. Those who have disabilities should have school trans. on sp. ed. busses.
Posted By: ladycoco @ 09/12/2008 10:17:29 AM

Comment: Okay, there are some pros & cons of transporting our children to school. Let's put our ideas together & come up with some solution(s). Some folks live in rural areas and can team up with their neighbors while others have exceptional circumstances and may have to use friends, neighbors, churches or public assistance. There are solutions to problems. Let's brainstorm & help one another.
Posted By: ladycoco @ 09/12/2008 10:15:18 AM

Comment: Okay, there are some pros & cons transporting our children to school. Let's put our ideas together & come up with some solution(s). Some folks live in rural areas and can team up with their neighbors while others have exceptional circumstances. There are solutions to problems. Let's brainstorm & help one another.
Posted By: CeltsCherryLove @ 09/12/2008 10:13:55 AM

Comment: Walking to school is a great idea.... until it's pouring rain, or snowing, or the sidewalks are covered in ice, or it's 100* out. In those conditions, even with adult supervision, it's no longer a safe environment for the children!
- Posted By: dogscrap @ 09/12/2008 2:29:27 PM
  
  Comment: We did it and we are still here and no long pants in the winter either. Dresses or skirts we only allowed according to the dress code and we all survived. Kids are spoiled today big time.. Mom I need a carr 10th grade get real)
Posted By: grandmamma @ 09/12/2008 9:51:26 AM

Comment: When I was in high school we live about 4 miles from school. Our bus was the last one to pick us up at the high school, our average wait on it each day was 1 h our to 1 hour and 15 minutes. So most of the boys (we all lived on the same country road so the distance was about the same for each one of us) decided they would start walking home. Funny thing, they usually beat us girls, who didn't walk home each day.
Posted By: VARCHII @ 09/12/2008 9:33:33 AM

Comment: I grew up walking to my local neighborhood school. Literally several miles each way and yes uphill both ways. Yes there were bullies, but it was part of dealing with life. Learning conflict resolution. We have generations of children in colleges and in business now that do not know how to deal with others properly and maturely. Yes, we need to protect our children. However, are we really doing the right thng for them? What happens when we end up with government leaders who do not know how to resolve conflicts with others/countries? WAR? I have four children in grade school. I Love them dearly, but I have to let them skin their knees so they learn not to break their arms. I would love to see us go back to local neighborhood schools. Where the kids in the neighborhood all played together and learned together and 'gasp' helped each other.
Posted By: fdlwi @ 09/12/2008 9:15:48 AM

Comment: Oh, BTW, before I get jumped on by those that say a high school kid should be able to walk 2.5 miles -- Yes, I completely agree, but I have a special needs child who is not able to walk that distance.
Posted By: fdlwi @ 09/12/2008 9:13:20 AM

Comment: My city was too darned cheap when it came time to build a new high school to replace the decrepit 100-yr-old school we had. Our popluation increased by 20,000, but the tightwads voted to only build one new high school rather than two to distribute the traffic and equalize distance. It is on the outskirts of town, surrounded by high-traffic roads and there is no busing offered whatsoever, not even a public city bus route available any longer, as there was back when I went to school. A good portion of low-income housing in our city is about five to six miles from the new school. We personally live about 2.5 miles from school, so I have to drive my child to school. You wouldn't believe the traffic jams around the school. The so-called planners didn't put a lot of real-life scenario thinking into our "new state-of-the-art school."
Posted By: angel in training @ 09/12/2008 8:42:06 AM

Comment: The problem with the children walking is the weight pf the backpacks they are forced to carry nowadays. Yes, we walked but we had no where near the weight in our bags that they do today. I can barely lift my daughter's!
Posted By: amaryllism @ 09/11/2008 10:27:51 AM

Comment: it is absolutely ridiculousthat a 9 year old child wouldn't know the joys of walking. "it's like recess before school" i work in the downtown of a medium sized city. i walk to stores, banks, etc during lunch. it is quicker and easier given the lack of parking to do so. my coworkers think i am insane for walking (walking!) on a beautiful summer day.

it's no surprise to me that global warming really got going once everyone moved out of cities into suburbs and exurbs. there is no choice but to bus and drive children who live miles from the nearest school (not to mention the nearest grocery store, doctor, etc.)
Posted By: EMazur @ 09/11/2008 6:16:32 AM

Comment: The comment in the movie, Over the Hedge, "Humans are slowly loosing their ability to walk, " seems to be coming true. When i was a child, only children who lived more than a mile from school were bused. Everyone else walked or rode their bikes. Even a four year old child can walk one half to three quarters of a mile with a little practice. Today, I have neighbors who drive their children to and from the bus stop that is anywhere from 50 to 100 yards from their homes. Even on a beautiful day, they can't be bothered to walk themselves or their children to the bus stop. Schools should not be bussing children who live relatively close to school. Lazy middle class Americans need to learn that it is okay to get their rears (and their children's) in gear.
- Posted By: HappySarah @ 09/12/2008 10:50:11 PM
  
  Comment: EMazur, what makes you think that these people are middle class Americans? Did you ask for their financial status? You're ignorant......
Posted By: alfwreg @ 09/11/2008 12:15:38 AM

Comment: I grew up in Columbia. I don't recall any big hills near West Boulevard...Hmm...anyway, I walked from Jeff. Jr. to the University Medical Clinic every day after school in Jr. High. I actually enjoyed it and got my blood going after a long day of school.
Posted By: araya1300 @ 09/10/2008 11:29:13 AM

Comment: I wish my county would come up with a better bus solution, my kids ride a bus 16 miles to school and back they are on the bus 2 hours a day ,64 miles a day when we have schools with in 2 or 3 miles from our home, they are NOT trying to come up with a better solution for us, I could onty imagine the money we would save in tax dollars and get with the rest of the world and start going GREEN!!
Posted By: Aaron Allen @ 09/10/2008 11:10:31 AM

Comment: If there are no safe sidewalks and there are pedestrian-unfriendly crosswalks, it is unfair to expose kids to
commuters and big trucks. All districts shud investigate cheaper, substitute fuels, keeping schoolbusses
parked indoors overnight with engine-warmers, reverting to standard 5-speed transmissions on rural bus-
ses which operate on highways and travel miles between shops...In suburban districts, 4-day schoolweeks
and the use of bio-fuels can reduce costs considerably...If kids must walk in platoons with adult supervision
the adults shud be given reflective vests, STOP sign paddles and keep the kids walking on the LEFT,
facing traffic [even on sidewalks] and with no rear-approaching vehicles at crosswalks! Simple march, stop,
left! commands [the last being to run left away from the street or roadway] shud be agreed by supervisors
and walking kids...Aaron/former walker-biker to school..
- Posted By: Floridave @ 09/13/2008 1:01:29 AM
  
  Comment: How about just taking your kid to school? If you can't afford to take care of a kid, don't have one.
Posted By: indyliving @ 09/10/2008 7:46:44 AM

Comment: I see nothing wrong with charging families for the use of the bus. My kids used to ride the bus, but now they go to the latchkey program at school, so i drop them off early and they get to play for an hour before school then have breakfast there. Works out great. I pay to have my kids at school, so i dont see any difference for having people pay to bus the kids to school.
Posted By: Toxic Waste @ 09/09/2008 12:34:17 PM

Comment: I am curious to know it this is something that would have an impact on rural communities that commute long distances to get the children to school.
Posted By: BrownFoxNine @ 09/09/2008 8:24:03 AM

Comment: When I went to High School, gas was65 cents a gallon and minimum wage was $3.30. So off an hours wages I could buy 5 gallons of gas and could squeak by a whole week (small town). Now, gas is $3.60 a gallon and minimum wage (in FL) is $6.79 so a kid can buy 1.8 gallons of gas off the same hour of work. Wow, its not fair is it! www.anonweb.net.tc
Posted By: mcdeve @ 09/09/2008 8:16:14 AM

Comment: Sounds like a healthy solution that benifits the children and the taxpayers
Posted By: theladykt @ 09/08/2008 3:23:38 PM

Comment: I have no problem with this so long as there are crossing guards at major intersections and there are actually sidewalks for the kids to use. Those communities that force childrent to walk in the street, esp next to busy roadways should still have to be provided busing. Both my older boys ride their bikes to school and there are sidewalks. In our area, you have to be over 2 miles before they will ieven consider busing.
Posted By: raekei @ 09/08/2008 12:12:18 PM

Comment: As a parent in the Capistrano Unified School district in San Clemente, CA, our kids live 4 miles from school and last year, we paid $840 for use of the school bus. Now, the buses only pick up the the Mexican immigrant kids to make sure that they get to school because these parents won't make sure that their kids get to school. So the same bus that picks up these kids actually passes by our old bus stop but not to pick up our kids. These kids also get free breakfast, lunch and tutoring. How fair is this?
- Posted By: Floridave @ 09/09/2008 9:36:28 PM
  
  Comment: I lyke eet. I haff no probleem weed dee bus seestem. Muchos Gracias yankee! I luff Amareeka!
  
  Carlos Vasquez Martinez Sanchez
Posted By: Claire22 @ 09/08/2008 11:53:25 AM

Comment: It concerns me that when it is illegal for kids not to attend school, busing is the first to be cut. Many 2-parent working families have no other way and/or is difficult to get their children to school.
There may be other ways to cut costs, especially extracurricular activities that require busing. Also, how about busing passes that may be purchased? As to me, it is hypocritical to require children to attend school, but cut transportation for them to get to the school.
- Posted By: firemedic258 @ 09/08/2008 10:45:23 PM
  
  Comment: Claire,
  You are completely correct! It is mandatory for children to attend school, so it should be completely up to taxpayers to foot the entire bill! They should have to pay for all transportation costs. Since your child needs clothes to attend school, this should also be part of the package. School supplies are required, but never paid for by the taxpayers. This also must stop. Your child should be given all necessary school supplies and a computer! Lunch will also now be free for all students. If we, as the citizens, insist that they be in school for six hours, we should have to feed them. Obviously, they need a doctor's physical and vaccinations to attend school. Don't worry, we will pick up that tab too. After all, we, the taxpayer, told you to have children. Paying for their education isn't enough, now is it?
  - Posted By: TheVigil @ 09/12/2008 3:27:55 PM
    
    Comment: God forbid we spend on education and nutrition for children what we routinely spend on bombs for the military
  - Posted By: EyeOnTomorrow @ 09/12/2008 11:40:21 AM
    
    Comment: firemedic,
    Thank you for the typical nay-sayer input of someone who has benefited from the system at one point in your life but fail to see how you're at all obligated to pay it back along the way. Claire wasn't presenting a case for you to cover her child's other expenses, but the fundamental correlation between requiring children to be in school and not providing the means to get them there in a safe manner. Sure, back in the day, it was probably easier to accept that parents could just send their kids out in the world and expect that they would end up arriving at school where they were supposed to be, but today it's a different world. Perhaps if you found someone interested enough in you to HAVE children with, then you might understand even more your commitment to repay the system that got you far enough in the world to know how to even post, let alone spell...not to mention presumably do something along the lines of serving the public in a medic/fire capacity. In all honesty, the attitude you show to Claire is completely contradictory to the idea of public service which you would seem to represent with your screen name. I'm sure Claire would agree that you're not obligated to support her kids with a free meal, or school supplies, or any of the other things on your list, but at the very least - realize that there are more justifications to a reasonable tax base than the things that are self-centeredly going to benefit you alone.
  - Posted By: simply tracy @ 09/12/2008 11:22:15 AM
    
    Comment: Looik, the very kids you're complaining about helping are the ones who will be paying your Social Security. Cut them a break, and maybe, when they get older, they'll cut you one.
  - Posted By: Floridave @ 09/11/2008 8:58:40 PM
    
    Comment: Geez, leave it to a tax dollar dependent government employee to come up with new ways to grab tax dollars. Kids should go to school because the parents want them to, not the government. If you can't afford to get your kid to school and buy them a pair of scissors and notebook paper, you don't deserve to have children. Carry your own weight, liberal.
    - Posted By: TheVigil @ 09/12/2008 3:41:38 PM
      
      Comment: The U.S. spent $440 billion on the military last year. It spent $68 billion on education.
      
      Just for reference, that means about six times as much was spent on the military.
      
      That makes a lot of sense to me. It explains the ignorance, the anger, the hostility, the attitude towards other people's kids. If we spent HALF of what we spend on bombs on books instead, we could actually make sure all our schoolchildren were fed, educated, and had a shot of joining the workforce.
      
      Personally, I think you're a goddamned fool. The less education kids get, the higher the crime rate goes. And the price of the skilled labor market goes up, since the number of skilled workers goes down. And it's quite quaint for you to say "carry your own weight" - most liberals pay taxes. The burden is shared. Taxes are higher for the wealthy - but the wealthy do not contribute the majority of tax revenue to the budget. Claims like "carry your own weight" are hypocritical and arrogant in the extreme. It's about how to share a pie that a LOT of us contribute to - remember that the poor pay plenty of sales tax even if they don't pay much in federal taxes.
      
      We're all in this together, but you'd rather not see how dependent your own prosperity is on the collective well-being of the masses...
      - Posted By: Floridave @ 09/13/2008 1:00:07 AM
        
        Comment: Wow! What a total load of hippy peace and love nonsense mixed evenly with pure bull crap. The government can triple their school budgets and it won't help until parents commit to their children at least as much as the kid's teachers do. Teachers spend half their time trying to deal with idiot kids who have no respect for authority because they are being raised by parents that either are divorced, don't know where the father is, don't know WHO the father is, don't care, or send their kids to learn the things that their parents should have taught them in the first place.
        
        When you figure out a way for the government to force parents to act like parents, let us all know. Until then, stop blaming the government for everybody's problems.
    - Posted By: small town neighbor @ 09/12/2008 2:00:07 PM
      
      Comment: It's not a matter of wanting to go to school - cause it's not like you have a choice - children must go to school - that is required. And no one said anything about being able to afford getting your kid to school - but how - if both parents work - and both have to be at work before school starts. I guess you just tell them - hey your on your own - cause we don't want any rich- fat-cat -consservative to be upset to spend any of their money on anything that helps out another fellow human being - he needs that money so he can be comfortable.
    - Posted By: pusscat @ 09/12/2008 11:16:48 AM
      
      Comment: I don't have a problem paying for my kids' lunch, school uniforms, etc. BUT, make everyone pay. One of my biggest pet peeves is watching 6 illegals in one family get freebies while their parents are working (for cash) AND collecting welfare so they can afford a Navigator, an iPhone, an iPod for each child, but I am paying for their school supplies.
      
      Pay for
  - Posted By: acb625 @ 09/10/2008 12:22:26 PM
    
    Comment: The sarcastic tone of this makes me laugh. 10 years ago I graduated from a city high school, where school supplies were provided for kids whose parents couldn't afford them, and every student was entitled to a free breakfast and lunch. And I thank the tax payers for that, by now paying my own taxes so that some other kid can have a pencil and a ham sandwich. Of course, we never did get to ride the school bus...
  - Posted By: acb625 @ 09/10/2008 12:19:31 PM
    
    Comment: The sarcasm is funny to me, because 10 years ago I graduated from a city public school, and the school did provide school supplies if the kids parents couldn't afford them, and even gave free lunch to everyone. And I thank the tax payers for this now by paying my own taxes and contributing to some other kid's school supplies and free lunch. Of course, we never did have a school bus.... ;)
    - Posted By: acb625 @ 09/10/2008 12:24:40 PM
      
      Comment: Guess that great free education never taught me how to post to a message board either...
      - Posted By: dbtmellis @ 09/12/2008 4:18:49 PM
        
        Comment: fdlwi, are you refering to the Schools in Jacksonville FL? That is exactly how my High School was like the whole 4 years i was there.

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