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How much of this can be attributed to school consolidation? Fewer schools mean kids are going to have to travel farther to their schools, especially high school students. Some of those kids are going to be bused.
We have huge districts here in metro Denver, however, the schools themselves are fairly well dispersed. My district has about 28,500 students, with 55 schools, 6 neighborhood high schools and a bunch of charter/alternative high schools. Most kids are within 5 miles or less of a high school, probably within a mile of an elementary school, a couple miles of a middle school.
Most people live in suburbia which makes it difficult to walk to school. Although many kids even in suburbia live within a mile of their school. Its just our overprotective society wont let them. I know someone who wont let their kid litteraly walk 1 block (its about 0.05 miles) to their school because they are afraid they will get hit by a car. They litteraly just have to cross 1 street that gets little to no traffic. Some city kids wont walk to school because they live in a ghetto area. The rest are just very lazy
It's not that kids can't walk to school, it's that our overprotective society won't let them.
Bingo! I grew up I think in the last decade this didn't happen. I wondered the streets of my neighborhood from dawn to dusk without one whiff of my mom. She knew I was out playing and that was enough. There was simply no question about walking to school and back. It would have seemed insane to even ask about rides. I took the bus all over town when I needed to get somewhere that wasn't close by. I was street savvy and oriented and knew my mid-sized city like the back of my hand by the time I was a tween.
My wife and I never did have kids, but I can't imagine she would have given them the free range that I had - the whole thing is completely unthinkable these days.
The numbers for the US seemed surprising at first, but then thinking for a minute they make a little more sense. If only 31% of students that age (according to the article) live within 1 mile of school, then you'd kind of expect nearly 70% to get a ride in a car or bus. Then figure that half the rest or so get a ride as well because they're a half mile or more or just don't want to walk and there you go.
Around here we have no buses for integration and all elementary schools are neighborhood schools. The LAUSD website says that 42,000 students are bused to school (about 6% of all students), but I really don't see buses around here except for extra-curricular activities. Not sure where all the students riding buses live. Maybe lots in the Valley. I'd guess that 25% or so get dropped off by parents and the rest walk either with parents or with friends. So probably 70-75% of students around here walk. I guess that we're a throw-back.
Most people live in suburbia which makes it difficult to walk to school. Although many kids even in suburbia live within a mile of their school. Its just our overprotective society wont let them. I know someone who wont let their kid litteraly walk 1 block (its about 0.05 miles) to their school because they are afraid they will get hit by a car. They litteraly just have to cross 1 street that gets little to no traffic. Some city kids wont walk to school because they live in a ghetto area. The rest are just very lazy
But do they drive their kid 0.05 miles or walk with him/her? Seems silly to drive across the street.
I can relate to the suburbia walking difficulty. I have nieces and nephews in Raleigh and their schools are often many miles away. And even when they are close they don't have traffic lights and crosswalks to cross the street. Who builds a brand new school on a major street with no crosswalks and traffic lights for a half mile? Only in the sunbelt where it evidently never occurs to anyone that kids may walk to school.
"...According to a report by 24 Hour News 8, Pennington said the bike ride put the students in danger, tied up traffic and caused school staffers to be late for work.
Nicks said the students were escorted by police. She said she’d heard no complaints from people about being tied up in traffic, and said teachers should have already been at school by the time the ride was under way.
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “They did not impede traffic. The police department would have dispersed that. Give me a break. These are good students. These are not bad students...”
the carcentric culture we have is very anti-pedestrian and anti-biking. pedestrians and cyclists are treated almost as if they were criminals, so its not uncommon at all to read about this kind of story. you see them all the time. walking and biking is a stigmatized activity in most places, that even kids can sense that walking and biking is a low-status thing to do because they grow up in this very carcentric culture that virtually worships the automobile. if you're not driving (or being driven in) a big SUV or an expensive luxury car then you're a nobody. they feel ashamed to be seen walking by their friends.
Quote:
Originally Posted by A2DAC1985
Although it isn't exactly what this thread was started for, I think this also plays into the discussion:
"...According to a report by 24 Hour News 8, Pennington said the bike ride put the students in danger, tied up traffic and caused school staffers to be late for work.
Nicks said the students were escorted by police. She said she’d heard no complaints from people about being tied up in traffic, and said teachers should have already been at school by the time the ride was under way.
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “They did not impede traffic. The police department would have dispersed that. Give me a break. These are good students. These are not bad students...”
It's not safe for kids to be walking to school anyway. That's how they can get kidnapped, raped and/or murdered. Better to be safe than sorry.
Yeah I'm calling BS on this one. Nearly all statistics point out to less crime now, including against children than in past decades so if it was safe enough for me and my generation to walk to school it is no more dangerous from this mostly phantom menace now.
You can always drag up those horrible, but exceedingly rare instances, but as the other poster above mentions, it is much more dangerous for your kid to ride in a car. Now if you are talking about bad urban/roadway planning that's another thing that should be addressed but it's just plain sad that kids don't get that sense of independence either by themselves and their thoughts and imaginations or bonding with their friends everyday walking to and from school as I so enjoyed.
the carcentric culture we have is very anti-pedestrian and anti-biking. pedestrians and cyclists are treated almost as if they were criminals, so its not uncommon at all to read about this kind of story. you see them all the time. walking and biking is a stigmatized activity in most places, that even kids can sense that walking and biking is a low-status thing to do because they grow up in this very carcentric culture that virtually worships the automobile. if you're not driving (or being driven in) a big SUV or an expensive luxury car then you're a nobody. they feel ashamed to be seen walking by their friends.
Overreact much?
The principal in the referenced story was just pissed off that the kids skipped school for a few hours. No doubt her reaction would have been the same had they arranged a celebratory car caravan, touch football game, or Scrabble tournament that morning; she just would have needed a different excuse.
All this blathering about stigma and criminals is just irrational paranoia.
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