Do you agree with this?

[MushyMushy]

For the middle school, if the kids live within something like a mile and a half radius (within the borough), they don't get transportation. It's been like that since I was a kid and let me tell you, parents griped about it then too.

Anyway, the non-bus kids get two options. They can walk home or a parent has to pick them up at the school at a back door. I didn't allow my daughter to walk until 7th grade, and then only if she's with friends. Now that she's in 8th, she has people to walk with, but not all the way. We live just about at the limit of the mile and a half radius. Most days she walks all the way home (which is mostly uphill!) and some days she'll call me if it's rainy or if she just doesn't want to walk all the way up the hill. I pick her up maybe once a week at the bottom of the hill. Sometimes if I'm on my way somewhere, I'll drive that route and pick her up and take her with me.

The school AND the police have now said that parents can't do that. They either have to pick them up at the school or the child walks all the way home. The police have said they will patrol to make sure... I do know that the police chief hangs out near the middle school every day after school to keep an eye on things, so I don't doubt that they'll be patrolling!

I see their point. It is safer for the kids, I understand that. But on the other hand, I think they're seriously overstepping! If they feel it's so unsafe for the kids to get picked up along the route, then why on earth don't they bus them?

So what do you think? Would you agree with this where you live? Keep in mind that this is a small town rural area -- pretty safe, so what might be good for you is bad for me and vice versa.

Oh, and to add to this: we have to send a note if we are picking them up. So the parents would have to know THAT MORNING if they plan on getting the kids, rather than letting the kids call to say they want a ride. In an emergency, you can call and let the school know the change of plans, but obviously you don't want to do that a lot, and you sure don't want tons of parents calling in with last minute changes in plans.

 

[agnes!]

I'm sorry, but IMO that's just insane. What are they going to do, arrest a parent for picking up their own kid? How will they 'patrol' the issue?

agnes!

 

[Starbrite]

I'm sorry, but IMO that's just insane. What are they going to do, arrest a parent for picking up their own kid? How will they 'patrol' the issue?

agnes!

I agree - That's crazy. Once you're off school property what can they do about it?

 

[DawnCt1]

For the middle school, if the kids live within something like a mile and a half radius (within the borough), they don't get transportation. It's been like that since I was a kid and let me tell you, parents griped about it then too.

Anyway, the non-bus kids get two options. They can walk home or a parent has to pick them up at the school at a back door. I didn't allow my daughter to walk until 7th grade, and then only if she's with friends. Now that she's in 8th, she has people to walk with, but not all the way. We live just about at the limit of the mile and a half radius. Most days she walks all the way home (which is mostly uphill!) and some days she'll call me if it's rainy or if she just doesn't want to walk all the way up the hill. I pick her up maybe once a week at the bottom of the hill. Sometimes if I'm on my way somewhere, I'll drive that route and pick her up and take her with me.

The school AND the police have now said that parents can't do that. They either have to pick them up at the school or the child walks all the way home. The police have said they will patrol to make sure... I do know that the police chief hangs out near the middle school every day after school to keep an eye on things, so I don't doubt that they'll be patrolling!

I see their point. It is safer for the kids, I understand that. But on the other hand, I think they're seriously overstepping! If they feel it's so unsafe for the kids to get picked up along the route, then why on earth don't they bus them?

So what do you think? Would you agree with this where you live? Keep in mind that this is a small town rural area -- pretty safe, so what might be good for you is bad for me and vice versa.

Oh, and to add to this: we have to send a note if we are picking them up. So the parents would have to know THAT MORNING if they plan on getting the kids, rather than letting the kids call to say they want a ride. In an emergency, you can call and let the school know the change of plans, but obviously you don't want to do that a lot, and you sure don't want tons of parents calling in with last minute changes in plans.

Unless they plan to walk her to her door, how is it there business what she or you do after she leaves school grounds? Unless there is a huge traffic jam with all of the parents picking up their children a half a mile from school, why does it concern them? If they are so concerned that the car picking children up is a "kidnapper" then all of the kids should take a taxi. What about kids who walk home and then walk to a friend's house? Will they be checking to see if they get a ride en route as well?

 

[monkey68]

I don't get why you can't pick the kid up along the way... a few times, when I was in school and walking home, if my mom passed me on her way home from work, she'd pull over and let me hop into the car. What's the big deal? And really, what will the police do? Follow every kid that walks to be sure the parent isn't picking them up?

Maybe it's because I live in the city, but what's the big deal about picking a kid up along their walk home?

 

[Tink888]

My son in high school is a walker. I can see the school's point of view in terms of safety but I think it's a little silly. Seriously, how are they EVER going to enforce that rule for every walker for the entire year? You could get really anal and ask about the kids who ride the bus. If their parents pick them up at the bus stop do they need a note?

If it was me and I saw my kid walking at any point between home and school, I'm picking him up and I'll wave to the officer. Really, what are you supposed to do, honk & holler out the window to have a nice walk?

 

[N.Bailey]

Personally, I think that's an awful long way to make kids walk to school each way. In my town, we're talking blocks, not miles.

I'd also have problems with having to send a note in in the morning. What if it rains? Is your child suppose to walk home because you didn't realize it was going to rain, so you never sent a note in?

I guess I just don't understand their reasoning. I can see how they might think they are preventing stranger abductions, but the truth of the matter is, they're hurting the kids/families more and they probably aren't doing anything to deter someone who is interested in abducting a child (and I'm certainly not trying to undermine how tragic abduction is).

 

[Allison]

What exactly do the police think they are going to do? There is nothing they can charge you with. That's absurd.

 

[daughtersrus]

I think that I would start with the district office and ask the superintendent for this policy in writing. I would also explain to him/her that there may be times (depending on weather, your schedule...) that you may need to pick your child up before they get home.

I would also call the police department and ask them for this policy in writing as well. I would also ask them what the police officer is going to charge you with if you pick up your child/ren before they get home?

We had a similar situation here last year. State law says that children within 1 1/2 miles of school do not get a bus unless there is a traffic hazard. This applies to all ages K-high school.

Drew Peterson (not sure if you heard about him on the news but he's a local police officer accused of killing his second wife and 3 wife is still missing) wanted to let his son walk home from school. The little boy was in K and their home was one block from the school. The school wouldn't allow it and insisted that he be picked up at school (this often turned into a media frenzy). On one hand I understand but if the law says that it's safe for them to walk and that they don't need to provide transportation, why can the school insist that they have to be picked up?

Drew's now in jail and the little guy is living in another suburb with his 1/2 brother so we don't have to deal with the daily drama. Sorry to get OT.

If all else fails, call your state board of ed and see what they have to say.

Best of luck!

 

[mla1977]

So what are the police going to do? Arrest you for picking up your own kid? I can see them wasting resources by pulling over everyone they see doing this. I know there is a risk that the child could get taken by someone, but then they should bus everyone.

FWIW, DBF's brother (13 this weekend) lives with us. We are only 1/4 mile from the entrance to the school property and he gets picked up. There are no continuous sidewalks on our street, but he can cross the street and walk up the hill to a path that connects the other properties to the school property, but he isn't allowed to do that. I'd like to see them send him home for walking to school though!

 

[MushyMushy]

I'm not sure what the police can do. Maybe turn in the kid's name at the school? Because when I heard about it, I told my daughter it was BS and that if she wanted a ride home I'd darn well pick her up and she said, "No mom, you're not the one who will get in trouble; I will!"

I'm sorry, but it won't deter me. I'm the parent here. The school's job ends at 3:00.

What is it about our middle school anyway? The elementary and high school don't play these power issues!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

So if you see your child walking along the road, you're not allowed to safely and legally pull over and pick them up? That is just ridiculous, especially since they don't offer bus service. I know you said you're in a rural area so perhaps things are different there. I'm in a large city and we don't have to tell anyone how our elementary kids are getting home. My husband or I can meet our son at the classroom or out front in the pick up area. I sometimes send my dad to pick him up. Sometimes, I make arrangements for him to go home with a friend or his friend comes home with us.

In regards to picking your child up along the way, what if they were walking that way on a weekend - like home from a friend's house? Would you not be allowed to stop on that route and pick them up or make arrangements to meet them somewhere? It does seem like they're over-stepping and dictating to you how your child gets home.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We have a neighborhood elementary and middle school with a 2 mile walking radius.

In 8th grade I also walked (far less than a mile--but still!).

What you do with your children once they are off school grounds is your business.

They can either allow kids to walk or not. I do agree they are overstepping the boundaries. Unlike a bus stop, they cannot "own" the entire route to school. Please.

Plus our jogging/bike path is open to the public, so unless they banned all adults on the path, they'd be hard pressed to prove squat.


I'd be curious if there was a way to challenge this without costing you money to demonstrate the overstepping of bounds. It wasn't this way when I was in middle school and I don't hear a peep about it for the elem and middle schools where we live.

I'm going to venture that they can't do this and it wouldn't uphold to a court challenge. But it is the getting to that part that is tough and trying to prove it by avoiding court that is tough.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I can see there point as a person who lived near an elementary school and watched crazy parents practically run over kids all the way down my street trying to avoid the school pick up line.

If you are going to pick you kid up, do it at the school.

Just call up the school and annoy them.

 

[MM27]

I guess my middle school didn't care about us. I walked to school, but some days my mom would drop me off if she was off from work that day. Parents were not allowed onto the school property for drop-off. We had a huge circle in front of the school for buses and then the teacher's parking lot was on the other side. We had to be dropped off at the street and walk up the very long driveway.

I wonder if the police are concerned with parents all picking up in the same spot and causing congestion on the main roadways? I'd ask what they are planning on charging you with if you do pick up your daughter there. Are there signs that say no loading or unloading of passengers?

 

[DawnCt1]

Personally, I think that's an awful long way to make kids walk to school each way. In my town, we're talking blocks, not miles.

I'd also have problems with having to send a note in in the morning. What if it rains? Is your child suppose to walk home because you didn't realize it was going to rain, so you never sent a note in?

.

A mile and a half each way is NOT a far. The limit when I was in grade and middle school was 2 miles or less. If it rains, you wear a rain coat. Olive drab 'slickers' were in style then, rain or no rain. I don't recall ever getting a ride to school from my parents ever.

 

[golfgal]

I can maybe see the thought process behind the rule with all the hyper parents about child abductions and seeing a lot of kids walking then getting into cars ans whatnot but I agree with others, how in the heck will they enforce the rule? I DREADED going into the pick up line at the middle school and would have the kids walk down 2 blocks from the school and pick them up there if I needed to pick them up after school (they usually rode the bus).

I would call and clarify the rule-"just checking, Mr. Principal, we live at the top of a large hill that is 5 blocks to walk up and sometimes I pick DD up at the bottom of the hill. Am I understanding the new policy correctly that I can no longer do that?"

 

[aprilgail2]

What is it about our middle school anyway? The elementary and high school don't play these power issues!

I think that is nuts!
Our middle school is also on on power trip...funny thing is that they don't care what color your hair is in grade school (my daughter has the bottom 5 inches bright blue!) in high school you could have a pink mohawk....but in middle school, no odd haircuts, no un-natural color hair, no short shorts or skirts.....in high school you could practically see some of the girls pubic hair their skirts are so short!! It must be a Junior high thing!

 

[N.Bailey]

snip

Drew Peterson (not sure if you heard about him on the news but he's a local police officer accused of killing his second wife and 3 wife is still missing) wanted to let his son walk home from school. The little boy was in K and their home was one block from the school. The school wouldn't allow it and insisted that he be picked up at school (this often turned into a media frenzy). On one hand I understand but if the law says that it's safe for them to walk and that they don't need to provide transportation, why can the school insist that they have to be picked up?

Drew's now in jail and the little guy is living in another suburb with his 1/2 brother so we don't have to deal with the daily drama. Sorry to get OT.

If all else fails, call your state board of ed and see what they have to say.

Best of luck!

Well, I'd imagine his child would be an exception to the rule. He could have been a target for many people out there. As revolting as that is, there are people who would try to get back at the parents via the children. That child did nothing wrong and deserved as much protection as they could give.

 

[N.Bailey]

Aren't the schools responsible for the children until they get home each day? I thought I read once that they were.

I still think this is ridiculous because I don't see how their approach is effectively dealing with any dangers these kids might face on the way home. I feel these rules are counterproductive really and just make it harder on all involved.