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Two miles is within walking distance, IMHO, and it's not unreasonable to ask (most) kids to make the walk. I'm talking distances such as I mentioned at my school -- 20 miles IS too far to walk.
The average adult can walk about 2.5 miles in an hour. The average small child carrying books walks slower than that. I don't think it's reasonable to expect that a 5 year old is going to spend 2 hours a day walking.
To me, it would make sense to charge a small amount for transportation - even at $1 a day, it would defray some of the costs.
But at $80 a month for a family with 4 kids that doesn't seem like a small amount IMO.
When I went to school in MI it was also common for kids living within a mile of the school to have to walk.
Kids that lived between one and two miles would sometimes choose to walk instead of opting for the bus.
For the bus kids picked up at the beginning of the route it meant getting up at the crack of dawn and spending close to an hour on the bus before getting to school, so sometimes it was easier and faster to walk the mile and a half or two miles to school.
But at $80 a month for a family with 4 kids that doesn't seem like a small amount IMO.
When I went to school in MI it was also common for kids living within a mile of the school to have to walk.
Kids that lived between one and two miles would sometimes choose to walk instead of opting for the bus.
For the bus kids picked up at the beginning of the route it meant getting up at the crack of dawn and spending close to an hour on the bus before getting to school, so sometimes it was easier and faster to walk the mile and a half or two miles to school.
That's when you get parents together and car pool. A parent of one set of kids can drop them off in the morning and another parent can pick them up.
Since we don't have kids ourselves, it's just tough for us to comprehend having four kids. Nothing against it - but I just don't see how people can afford have more than one.
How long does it take a 5-year-old with a book bag to walk two miles? And what time does school start?
If it starts at 7.30 (the time around here), and it takes an hour to walk two miles, then the child would need to leave the house around 6.30. That's well before daylight in the winter, and there are no sidewalks. On the way home, it would take from 2.30 until 3.30, when it is at least light outside.
Our district provides transportation to any child who has to cross a major street (3+ lanes) at whatever distance. The reason is that they want children to arrive alive and safe.
I'm not arguing *against* transportation. In fact, the premise of my initial post in this thread was that schools can't mandate your child attend and then not provide a way to get him/her there. Every school district sets a distance which they deem "walking distance" for their students -- that's a different issue entirely, and not what this discussion is about.
I wonder if any place has tried using vouchers for education? Give the parents vouchers and let them choose the school that would best suit their child's needs.
The voucher would be good for any public school tuition, but the parent might need to add cash to it for private schools.
I have coworkers who have told me that they would love to send their kids to a school close to where they work.
Sure you can. Here in Fort Lauderdale kids living closer than 2 miles are not provided with a bus. At all. Not for a fee, not for free, not at all. School attendance is still compulsory.
From the Broward County School Board FAQ:
"Who is eligible for transportation to a Broward County Public School? Transportation via Broward County Public School buses is provided to students living more than two (2) miles from their assigned school or if there is a safety hazard along the route to school. Parents are encouraged to call their child's school for more information."
When we lived quite a ways out of town (4 miles), my older boys rode their bikes or jogged to school. That's 8 miles round trip! Guess what? The bus went by everyday but stopped a mile from our house. Only on extremely cold days would they take the bus. They really loved winter though, they rode snowmobiles to school. On a more serious note, I know that students here would have their health and safety in jeapordy if the bus didn't pick them up. We have mornings with temps as low as -50 (school closes at about -30). Can you imagine walking a block in those temps? Now days, family/child services would be called and schools would be sued.
The average adult can walk about 2.5 miles in an hour. The average small child carrying books walks slower than that. I don't think it's reasonable to expect that a 5 year old is going to spend 2 hours a day walking.
We have alot of grade schoolers K-5th walk more than a mile everyday from the bus stop. They do it in less than an hour, usually about 20 minutes. Non of them have died.
That's when you get parents together and car pool. A parent of one set of kids can drop them off in the morning and another parent can pick them up.
Since we don't have kids ourselves, it's just tough for us to comprehend having four kids. Nothing against it - but I just don't see how people can afford have more than one.
Car pools are the devil's work. I did several in middle school, when we didn't have bus service. Never again. Since you don't have kids, you shouldn't be telling parents what to do.
I wonder if any place has tried using vouchers for education? Give the parents vouchers and let them choose the school that would best suit their child's needs.
The voucher would be good for any public school tuition, but the parent might need to add cash to it for private schools.
I have coworkers who have told me that they would love to send their kids to a school close to where they work.
Has this been tried anywhere?
The Colorado ACLU and two other civil liberties groups filed suit Tuesday challenging the Douglas County School District's voucher plan, which would allow students to attend private schools with public money.
Living far out away from schools, having lot's of kids....these are choices and should be considered when personal budget planning is done.
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On a more serious note, I know that students here would have their health and safety in jeapordy if the bus didn't pick them up. We have mornings with temps as low as -50 (school closes at about -30). Can you imagine walking a block in those temps? Now days, family/child services would be called and schools would be sued.
