How far do your high school age kids walk to the school bus stop?

[allison443]

The school will not let them drive unless they are juniors. SO, since I work he has to take the bus. I just don't understand if the bus PASSES my house to the other house...why can't it stop? I mean what if he is late one day and the bus passes him walking to the stop are they just going to keep driving? Why can't they make the bus stop in the middle stop of the two houses if there is a time issue?

I think they are mad I reported them.

You are making it sound like there are only two kids at the stop-your son and the kid whose house the stop is near? Is that accurate? Maybe there are other students assigned to that stop as well and this is considered a centrally located stop. If they stop at your house then everyone will want door to door service, kwim?

In our town you only can take a bus to high school if you live more than 2.5 miles.
It sounds like this is your son't first year in high school. I don't think it is too far to walk. As for inclement weather...what does anyone do in inclement weather. An umbrella, hooded jacket, etc. Nobody can avoid inclement weather.

 

[KitKat_Tink]

That sounds like how it was for me Junior year. Its honestly not a big deal. When you're in high school your at a minimum 13. Walking less then a mile won't kill a 13 year old. If theres bad weather have them dress appropriately.

Be thankful your district even has buses. The one I live in cut all busing except for disabled children. Sure my mom had to change her schedule my last year riding but its wasn't a big deal. If mom couldn't drive me, a neighbor could

 

[shortbun]

All of our high school stops are at schools so if the nearest school is a mile away - the student walks or gets a ride to that stop. The only high school students who get door to door service or even corner stops are special ed or students who would have to cross a 6 lane road/freeway.

 

[kacaju]

we have no bussing at all for HS. My girls have to walk the 2.4 miles to school, or I drive them.

 

[Ohiodislover]

just a little over a mile from our front door to the front door of the school. No bus service.

My middle schooler walks as far as the OP's son to her bus stop. She will often be walking home after school d/t ec activities which is 1.8 miles.

 

[indimom]

My son (fifth grade) walks a little over a half mile to school every day. No problem. He does cross areas without sidewalks. No big deal, he walks on the edge of the yard (not in the road).
Not our school district, but another near here, provides NO bus service for anyone within 1.5 miles of the school - this includes elementary students. I had a friend whose kindergartener was walked to school in a group of neighborhood kids. (Now that would have made me nervous...)

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

My son (fifth grade) walks a little over a half mile to school every day. No problem. He does cross areas without sidewalks. No big deal, he walks on the edge of the yard (not in the road).
Not our school district, but another near here, provides NO bus service for anyone within 1.5 miles of the school - this includes elementary students. I had a friend whose kindergartener was walked to school in a group of neighborhood kids. (Now that would have made me nervous...)

In the district where I work they don't bus, the assumption is not that kids can walk safely to school alone in the early grades, but that parents are responsible for finding someone to accompany them.

 

[mamamary]

My son is in middle school but the bus stop will be the same for him in high school next year. It is very close - 4 houses down. All the bus stops in my development are about every two blocks.

 

[golfgal]

Do you have a lot of kids who could drive who aren't juniors yet? Here kids who started school on time and haven't been retained turn 16 on or after Jan 1st of sophomore year. With a 6 month learner's permit, only a very few will be able to drive independently in 10th grade (those who have birthdays in the first 1/2 of Jan, and get their lisence the first day they're eligible) and then only for less than a month.

In MN the cut off is Sept 1st. to enter kindergarten, most kids turn 16 in their sophomore year of high school and get their driver's license that year. It isn't uncommon at all.

OP, I can not believe you called the bus garage to complain about a HIGH SCHOOL kid walking a 1/2 mile to a bus stop. In most towns kids in high school don't get bussed unless they live a mile or more away from the school. A 35 MPH road is NOT a big deal even with speeders. If your high school aged kid can't walk safely to the bus stop, that is YOUR failing not the schools.

Our bus stop is at the end of our street, just one house over but there are kids that walk from several blocks away to get there. There are some kids that have to walk a mile or more to GET to their bus stop though.

 

[maslex]

My son is starting HS this year. His bus stop will be at the top of our road (five houses up from ours) Ever since he was in pre-school, our house was the group stop for the kids on the top half of our road, then there was another stop at the bottom of the road (our road is maybe 1/2 mile long?) So it's never really been a problem (for any parent around here, really).

We live in a housing development with 3 streets. For HS, the students are required to walk to the top of each street and that's where their bus stop is. They do not get door to door service. So the bus comes along the main road, stops at the top of each road and picks up a group of students at each one. I know of many HS students who walk 2-3 miles each way to get to school (and some of them have bus service but they just decide to walk with friends, I guess) and this is along the busy main road where the HS is.

I don't know if this will shine any light on your situation but here goes.....I am a school bus driver. I am doing a different bus run this year with only 2 students BUT for the past 8 years I have driven for all grades between preschool and 12th grade. Only preschool/kindergarten students get door to door service in our district (and ALL states, cities, districts, etc are DIFFERENT) and we need to see a parent/adult to let them off. Once they reach 1st grade, we don't need to see anyone...we can just let them right off (not that I always agree with this, but it's the way it's been done for years, I guess) But once they reach 1st grade, the bus garage starts having "cluster stops" where available, meaning if there are quite a few students on one street, instead of stopping at each house to do a pick up, they will combine the stops into 1-2 stops. But say if there are only like 2 students on that street at opposites ends, they will do a door to door pick up.

But I can tell you that over the years that I have driven bus, I have had MANY kids have to walk up the street to their stop while I just drove past their house. The kids always asked why I just couldn't stop at their since I just past it. I just told them that I couldn't and that they'd have to walk to their stop. They accepted it but only a handful of parents didn't and we got calls from them asking why and there were basically three simple reasons that the bus garage gave them (mind you these were not my rules, but still had to follow them from the garage)

1--if we had to do it for you, we would have to do it for EVERYONE

2--it would take longer to stop at everyone's house instead of group stops (which would mean, paying me longer, paying for more fuel, the students having to get up earlier & having to wait in the dark during the winter,etc)

3--and in your situation (since he's in HS) they would basically say that he's a big boy now and can handle a walk less than a mile.

Now I understand that your not saying that you want him picked up at your house but to meet in the middle with the other student up the street where his stop is going to be. I would think that our bus garage would look at the situation and probably work with you to get a stop between the two but overall, it's really not a big deal.

 

[Pembo]

HS busing is a thing of the past here...

 

[RitaZ.]

In our district, the only students that are picked up and dropped off in front of their homes are Special Ed. students. You have to live over 2 miles from the school in order to get bus service. When my oldest was in high school, he had to walk to the bus stop, which was about 3 blocks away from our house.

I think your son can handle the walk.

 

[Jennasis]

FIVE miles...

Through the SNOW....

UPHILL both ways.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

So interesting, so many districts have no bussing. It isn't someting we are familiar with so I had no idea.

I can see if the school is really close, but for us it isn't. As for bo bussing for HS, what about the kids with no lisense or car? I man obviously the parents drive or carpool, but if that is the reason I don't get that. My DD is going to be a junior in 2 weeks. She can't even take drivers ed till mid October and then can't drive without an adult till mid October of her senior year and then she won't have a car. She will never drive to school (our choice) but even if she could, legally she couldn't till part way through her senior year.

Anyway, I guess we are very lucky we still have bussing. I mean, I would drive the kids everyday if I had to, but with 3 kids and 3 different schools I am glad I don't have to. (None are closser then 3 miles and are main roads (40-45mph) with no sidewalks and crossing RR tracks, one would be walking in the dark and the next it wouldn't be too bright out yet.)

 

[DeniseinNS]

The high school that my kids will go to is at the end of our street (about 10 houses down and accross the street)

The elementary kids bus picks them up accross the street from our house and the jr. high kids bus picks up on the other end of the street (opposite end as the high school)

 

[Colleen27]

My kids will walk .7 mile to school in middle/high school, so I don't see what the big deal is about walking that far to a bus stop.

 

[pbthompson]

First of all, I am shocked that so many people do not have bus service. That is one of the things I looked into when I decided to move here.

Secondly, we live in NH, the bus service here has always picked up the kids at their driveways if they are standing out there, but they will not stop if you are not there. My issue is WHY does MY son have to walk to the next stop that also has one kid and is also on the same street that we live on? The bus passes my house (as it does theirs). I do not live on a side street, it is not out of their way and if the 3 other kids (all single stops)on my street get picked up at their driveways than why can't mine?

Thirdly, I NEVER said my son was lazy, a snowfake OR that he wouldn't/couldn't do the walk. My son is actually in great shape.

And lastly...to question my parenting skills...really? I think I am done with these boards. It is a shame that we cannot post a question and get feedback (good and bad) without the derogatory comments. I will leave them to the people that apparently do not work and have time to post rude comments and drive their kids to school, unlike the bad parents that work and leave their children to fend for themselves.

It is quite obvious that my child is being singled out. I think it is because I complained about the bus company last year. I am surprised that none of you commented on the flooded road part that I included in my original post. If I knew how to post the picture of the road I would post it for you to see. This bus company was negligent. And when it comes to my kids safety, NOTHING will stop me from doing what I think is best for them.

For those of you that did respond with comments that did not include sarcasm and ridicule. Thank you.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I everyone is getting picked up at thier house and yours isn't I'd be calling, I didn't realize that. Is what happened last year why? Maybe, but that isn't right. If they leave a kid in a dangerous situation they should be called on it. If lots of kids are walking, as rough as it is (and I get it, we too have bad winters and no sidewalks which means the snow at the end of the driveways is taller then my DD,) then I don't think they will change it, but if your kid is the only one waslking, yeah, I'd be upset too.

I was one of those who mentioned driving, and I hope it wasn't said in a rude way as I know I am lucky to be able to do that (but glad I don't have to) and don't fault those who can't. I too was a little turned off by a thread just yesterday, but overall I think most people are nice here so I am back. Hope you find that to be true as well.

 

[Magpie]

I think you have a tough case here to fight, honestly. Your son IS in high school, and his stop is less than a mile away. Even if the bus company is truly getting their own back because of last year, you're still going to have trouble getting anyone to take you seriously. I'm not saying you shouldn't fight it, just be prepared for some harsh feedback.

Just for comparison... My daughter is 14, starting her first year of high school (Grade 9). There is NO bussing for high school students - as soon as you hit high school, you're on your own. We will buy her a city bus pass and she will be walking a mile down to the bus canyon, crossing at least one major road, to catch a bus along with all the other business and school commuters. It's going to be a tough walk in the winter, because the wind really picks up along those canyons and the temperatures can be brutal, but she'll have to just put on her big girl panties (along with her big girl long underwear and big girl muffler) and deal with it.

 

[C.Ann]

When my kids were in high school they had to walk a half mile.. If they stayed after school for anything, they were dropped off out on the main road and had to walk a mile to get home.. (They went to the same high school I did - they were raised in my childhood home - so I walked the same distance..)

DGD has to walk about 4 houses down from her house..