Bussing realities

[run4it]

With apologies to those who don't like cut and paste...

Until last spring, Nia Parker and the other kids in her neighborhood who attend West Boulevard Elementary in Columbia, Mo., commuted to school on Bus 59. But as fuel costs have risen, the Columbia school district has needed to find a way to cut its transportation costs. So the school's busing company redrew its route map, eliminating Nia's bus altogether. Instead, Nia and her neighbors travel the half mile to school via a "walking schoolbus"—a group of kids, supervised by an adult or two, who make the trek together. "It's healthier for them to walk," says Melissa Clark, Nia's mom, who approves of the change. Nia, a 9-year-old who's in fourth grade, sees other advantages. Since the bus used to pick up many children along a circuitous route, walking to school is actually quicker. "I like it because I get to sleep late, and I don't get as grouchy," Nia says.
Like the rest of us, school districts are feeling pinched by rising fuel costs—and finding new ways to adapt. The diesel fuel that powers schoolbuses now costs an average of $4.28 a gallon, up 34 percent in the past two years. Cities and states spend $14.7 billion annually transporting kids to school; for the typical school district, bus bills total 5 percent of the budget. As administrators look to trim, busing is an inviting target, since it doesn't affect classroom instruction (or test scores). According to a survey done by the American Association of School Administrators in July, more than one third of school administrators have eliminated bus stops or routes in order to stay within budget. "When you have to make tough choices," says Daniel Domench, executive director of the AASA, "you cut back on what's least harmful." In the Capistrano Unified School District in California—where there is no state requirement to transport students—two thirds of the district bus routes have been eliminated. "That's 4,000 to 5,000 students that received it last year no longer getting transportation," says transportation director Mike Patton. In New Hampshire, principal Karen Cloutier says that she expects one third of her elementary-school students will walk this year—even through rain and snow. "If there is school, we will walk," she says. "And we rarely cancel school."
Many parents are delighted to see their kids walking to school, partly because many did so themselves: in 1969, according to the National Household Travel Survey, nearly half of schoolkids walked or biked to school, compared with only 16 percent in 2001. Modern parents have been leery of letting kids walk to school for fear of traffic, crime or simple bullying, but with organized adult supervision, those concerns have diminished. "Parents are buying into it more and more," says Susan Haynes, principal at Van Derveer Elementary in Somerville, N.J., which cut all its home-to-school transportation. Some kids like this change, too. "It's like recess before school," says Price Phillips, 9, who walks to school in Columbia, Mo., this year.
Schools and busing companies are finding other ways to save by cutting field trips and redrawing athletic schedules to reduce the distances of "away" sporting events. In rural areas where busing is a must, some schools—like MACCRAY High School in Clara City, Minn.—have even opted for four-day school weeks. First Student Transportation, the leading U.S. schoolbus provider, is training drivers to eliminate extra stops from routes, to turn off the engine while idling and to check tire pressure every time they leave the lot. First Student is also using route-optimization software to determine the most fuel-efficient routes, which aren't always the shortest ones. A few schools now use diesel-electric hybrid buses, which achieve 12 miles per gallon (compared with 7mpg for a traditional bus). But at $180,000, hybrids cost more than twice as much as a traditional diesel bus, so few schools have switched.

I've long thought that the school bus systems (as well as public transportation busses) are ludicrous. They stop at every single house? How much gas would be saved if they only stopped once every block? Or *gasp* every other block. Is it that horrible of a request that the kids walk for 2 minutes to the bus stop at a larger corner? It's not exactly a new concept.

And if I may segue, public transportation has the same issues around here. Literally, the Elmwood bus stops almost every block. If you're going to make use of public transportation (and I DO think it should be available) I don't think it's too much to ask that you walk more than 1/2 block in any direction to catch a bus. 5 minutes to the stop 3 blocks down would kill you?

[Jazz]

First let me say that I would have no problem with my children walking a few blocks to catch a bus at a designated bus stop. I agree with all the points you have made. Will it happen here? Don't count on it.

I have more than one family member involved in school bus transportation in more than one district and at all levels (from bus driver to supervisor) and let me just say that most of the parents in WNY are NUTS!! I can't tell you the number of stories I've heard about parents who call furious that their child can't be picked up at their door because they live in a cul de sac that a bus cannot turn around in so their little darlings have to walk to the end of the block.

These are the same kids who will get into a fist fight on the bus and then be given in school suspension. The bus driver is then expected to pick up the same child and take him/her to school to serve their punishment. The same kids who calls from his/her cell phone and complain to their parents that the bus driver is mean. That driver then must be transferred off that route because the child couldn't possibly be wrong. And you think their parents would actually make them walk!

[crabapples]

Making the kids walk to school will likely increase the number of lawsuits and settlements paid out.

Imagine if a kid slips on some ice or whatnot and is hit by an oncoming car. If the kid dies, lawsuit because had a bus picked him up, he would not have been walking and subsequently killed. If the kid lives, then there are medical bills, monetary losses, etc, etc.

Now imagine if the kid has to walk to school and a sex offender gets a hold of him/her. Theres another lawsuit.

While walking may decrease fuel costs, will it actually cost taxpayers more for the lawsuits and legal representation that will inevitably surface? Maybe, maybe not, just something to think about in todays litigious society.

[run4it]

Hmm...is free transportation to school a legislated right? Is there a radius limit to that (as in, if you live within a half mile you are not guaranteed)?

[WNYresident]

Making the kids walk to school will likely increase the number of lawsuits and settlements paid out.

Imagine if a kid slips on some ice or whatnot and is hit by an oncoming car. If the kid dies, lawsuit because had a bus picked him up, he would not have been walking and subsequently killed. If the kid lives, then there are medical bills, monetary losses, etc, etc.

Now imagine if the kid has to walk to school and a sex offender gets a hold of him/her. Theres another lawsuit.

While walking may decrease fuel costs, will it actually cost taxpayers more for the lawsuits and legal representation that will inevitably surface? Maybe, maybe not, just something to think about in todays litigious society.

Making kids walk more will benefit our community. They will burn calories versus sitting on their butts all day.

It will also save us money.

If the parents are worried about stuff they can easily walk them to school or drive them.

If you happen to have a registered sex offender on your street try to get them to move.

[Sylvan]

Making kids walk more will benefit our community. They will burn calories versus sitting on their butts all day.

It will also save us money.

If the parents are worried about stuff they can easily walk them to school or drive them.

If you happen to have a registered sex offender on your street try to get them to move.

Efficiency would be getting those sex offenders euthanized.

[WNYresident]

Efficiency would be getting those sex offenders euthanized.

You know my thoughts.... snip snip

[winfield31]

Hey , when we were young , we walked to our NEIGHBORHOOD schools , before bussing , before bussing had & played a LARGE part in destroying the City of Buffalo proper.........everyone along the route to school knew us & watched us , they were OUR neighbors , & yes it was excercise , it was healthy , it was safe , now WE CAN save BIG BUCKS by ending this bussing , may lose some jobs that should never have been created in the first place , but I know this is not feasible for the parents of children who live in the 'burbs or in the "sticks" as schools are too far away , but in the inner ring 'burbs & the City of Buffalo , we can & should end bussing & send the kids back to their own neighborhood schools..............

[Linda_D]

Hmm...is free transportation to school a legislated right? Is there a radius limit to that (as in, if you live within a half mile you are not guaranteed)?

I believe that NYS mandates busing for all high school students living more than 2 or 3 miles from school and for elementary students more than 1 mile or 1.5 mile or something like that. I'm not sure what the exact mileage is, but most school districts bus all students unless they live practically next door to their schools. Bussing for handicapped students is mandatory.

Jamestown Public Schools do not bus any students except handicapped or special ed students who go to special programs, and a small group of elementary school students (K-5) who attend Bush School and live in a designated neighborhood, meaning they have to traverse a nasty, sparsely inhabited hill to get to their school building.

[crabapples]

Hmm...is free transportation to school a legislated right? Is there a radius limit to that (as in, if you live within a half mile you are not guaranteed)?

I believe 1/2 mile is the limit. I believe my school district already enforces this and therefore the taxpayers wouldnt see any benefits to enacting what you wrote.

I just put out there the scenarios that could/will happen if walking is expanding beyond that radius. You wouldnt believe what schools are sued for.

[zanna vaida]

Great discussion. This issues comes up when people buy properties or rent an appartment. Many parents don't pay attention when a realtor asks, "What is important to you in purchasing real estate?" This issues should be addressed and the homework has to be done before a property purchase.

[FisherRd]

With all of the fat asses that we see today a walk would do them some good. I can see a mile for High School students and a 1/2 mile for grammar school students.

As for picking kids up every other house...East and West Rd between OP Rd and Union is ridiculous. The real kicker is all of the kids from one of the new developments have to walk up to the corner of E&W, yet the bus will stop every 100ft to pick up some booger eaters in front of their houses.
If the one neighborhood of kids are expected to walk in order to consolidate stops, then they all should be.

[zanna vaida]

Any schoold district MUST provide a writen information to any interested resident. This is Public Information. Call you School District Office to find out your district's rules and regulations: policy.

Then, we'll compare and analyze.

[CAugust]

Any schoold district MUST provide a writen information to any interested resident. This is Public Information. Call you School District Office to find out your district's rules and regulations: policy.

Then, we'll compare and analyze.

While you are correct, they also have the ability to redistrict and or change policies at any time, Ive seen it done and it really upset a lot of people

[Genoobie]

The litigous society view wins. There should be a cap on these types of frivolous lawsuits.

Now, in my district (BPS) it's 1 mile for HS kids (as the crow flies).