How far do your kids walk to school?

[disneyfans95]

Your youngest is what,12 you said?

There is no issue, let them walk. No need to be all over this.. The rules are what they are and you are not anymore special then the rest of the families that also have deal with.

Your best bet is to get with other parents in the area, and set up a time where kids go as a group if you are that worried. Or you even said you can drop them off, so do that and one way back..

Sorry but this is the old mountain out of a molehill at this point.

 

[mjkacmom]

Your youngest is what,12 you said?

There is no issue, let them walk. No need to be all over this.. The rules are what they are and you are not anymore special then the rest of the families that also have deal with.

Your best bet is to get with other parents in the area, and set up a time where kids go as a group if you are that worried. Or you even said you can drop them off, so do that and one way back..

Sorry but this is the old mountain out of a molehill at this point.

I agree. My kids do the whole 3 mile round trip every day, and NOT ONCE have complained. I think they'd much rather have a nice brisk walk to start their day before school, and a nice walk after being in school all day, than have to ride on a loud crowded bus!

Are the same people complaining about less gym and recess in school, the same people complaining about lack of buses?

 

[Sadie22]

I know there are lots of roads I would be fearful of walking myself, let alone carrying a heavy backpack in all kinds of weather. Hopefully there is a school bus. Around here I think the cutoff is a mile and beyond that distance bus transportation is provided. I would imagine that other families carpool their children to the school from somewhere close to you, so the trick is to find some. It could be a good way to meet your neighbors.

 

[shoney]

For the walkers out there, what age did the child start walking to school without a parent?

Our school is k-2 and walkers are not permitted to walk. A parent must drop them off and pick them up. You wait on line and one at a time, the kids are dismissed once a parent signs for them.
Even if they take a bus, you must be on the bus stop...No parent there, the kids are returned to the school.

 

[Bonnie151]

For the walkers out there, what age did the child start walking to school without a parent?

We walk a mile each way. DS is 10 and DD is 7. I would have been happy for them to have walked to school together last year (and DS did on his own a couple of days when DD was sick), but I like the walk to/from school and it's the only exercise I get(!) so I still go with them.

 

[paintnolish]

Also, is there a health need with your 60 lb 12 year old? If so, you can request transportation as part of a 504 plan.

No, he's just that small!

Your youngest is what,12 you said?

There is no issue, let them walk. No need to be all over this.. The rules are what they are and you are not anymore special then the rest of the families that also have deal with.

Your best bet is to get with other parents in the area, and set up a time where kids go as a group if you are that worried. Or you even said you can drop them off, so do that and one way back..

Sorry but this is the old mountain out of a molehill at this point.

The rule is 1.5 or more miles from school. By my calculations, our house is at least 1.5 miles.

 

[Bungle]

Are there other kids nearby? Maybe you can get involved in a carpool if another parent drives or have them walk in a group with other kids. Honestly it isn't that far. I would drive in the morning, and have them walk in the afternoon. We live about two miles from the jr high here so the bus would pick my son up but he finds it faster to walk.

Oh one more thing, what about bikes?

 

[cornflake]

No, he's just that small!



The rule is 1.5 or more miles from school. By my calculations, our house is at least 1.5 miles.

Why don't you want them to walk though? If you've said I missed it, sorry.

 

[FayeW]

I would have a huge issue with expecting children to cross a 4 lane road without benefit of crossing guard or safety personnel.

When we moved into this house nearly 5 years ago, this was a brand new subdivision and no bus service had been set up. Technically, my kids were supposed to walk but I got the school board to provide bus service because they would have had to cross 5 lanes, and walk at least a kilometer down a busy road without sidewalks to even get to the 5 lanes!

Really, I don't understand the school system that seems to be in place in many parts of the U.S. There seems to be an inordinate focus on school lunches instead of getting children to school safely!

My biggest gripe is that once my kids hit high school, the public school board requires them to get to school under their own steam. (Catholic school board provides busing for their students...don't even get me started on that!) We live nearly 5 KM from school, and Ottawa weather is extreme. It is not realistic to expect anyone to walk nearly 10KM round trip in -40 windchill! I have to buy a bus pass for public transport for a cost of $88 per student, per month. My daughter starts university in a few weeks and the she has a bus pass for Sept-April included in her student fees.

 

[mjkacmom]

For the walkers out there, what age did the child start walking to school without a parent?

Our school is k-2 and walkers are not permitted to walk. A parent must drop them off and pick them up. You wait on line and one at a time, the kids are dismissed once a parent signs for them.
Even if they take a bus, you must be on the bus stop...No parent there, the kids are returned to the school.

No rules. Kindergarten and first grade like a visual, but by second, they're just sent out of the building. Mine started walking in 2nd grade.

 

[disneyfans95]

No, he's just that small!



The rule is 1.5 or more miles from school. By my calculations, our house is at least 1.5 miles.

Again, your calc.. Not the rest of the school district, town etc.

Have the kids walk.. At this point, I really think you are just trolling to keep the thread going...

 

[mjkacmom]

Because school lunches tend to be gross and unhealthy, and it's rare for anything to happen to children on the way to school. Heck, some kids end up stuck on a bus for an hour for a short distance, because of too many bus stops.

So many kids walk here (thank goodness), and there are crossing guards and/or traffic lights.

 

[FayeW]

Because school lunches tend to be gross and unhealthy.

My point was, schools should stay out of the restaurant business and worry about getting kids to school. You can provide the healthiest school lunches in the world but it doesn't mean squat if parents can't get their kids to school to eat them.

 

[Hannathy]

Are the same people complaining about less gym and recess in school, the same people complaining about lack of buses?

Oh I would bet on it!

I still don't get why two kids that old can't walk. I'm sure kids from that neighborhood have been doing for years and haven't been any worse for doing it. These aren't kindergartners, they are big kids. I don't get why how much he ways matters, I have a skinny guy and that has never stopped him.

I'm also surprised the OP didn't check the school situation out before buying the house. That was one of the first things we did when looking.


It always amazes me how many kids get busses for such short distances, no wonder peoples taxes are so high.

My kids walked from kindergarten, till they went to the charter school in 5th grade, that was 4 miles away for 1 school and about 8 for the other. Then it was up to the parents to figure out how to get them there, that is the main reason I didn't return to work full time. We wanted the kids to go there so we sacrificed the income.

 

[mjkacmom]

My point was, schools should stay out of the restaurant business and worry about getting kids to school. You can provide the healthiest school lunches in the world but it doesn't mean squat if parents can't get their kids to school to eat them.

I disagree - parents need to figure out how to get their children to school.

 

[MrsPete]

I do think this is a rough position in which to find yourself. Since you're not getting anywhere with the transportation office, I'd try these things:

1. Talk to neighbors to see how they handle this problem. They've been dealing with the problem and may have some ideas on how to handle it.

2. Other people suggested dropping them off early in the mornings -- that sounds very do-able, and it would take care of 50% of your problem. No matter how early I get to my school, kids are always waiting in the lobby.

3. Hire a high school student who has no first period /fourth to drive them to school /pick them up. Plenty of high schoolers have their own cars and would jump at the chance to pick up such an easy little afternoon job.

4. If you find a neighbor who drives her kids to school every day, see if she'd like a job transporting your kids too. Again, plenty of stay-at-home moms would love to pick up a little extra cash for very little effort.

5. Walking 1.5 miles day after day is a chore, but biking seems like much less effort. Have them practice riding with their backpacks on, and be sure they know how to lock up their bikes at school.

6. See if you can pay to have your kids on the bus.

 

[paintnolish]

Again, your calc.. Not the rest of the school district, town etc.

Have the kids walk.. At this point, I really think you are just trolling to keep the thread going...

Yeah, I'm a known troublemaker. When I start a thread and people take the time to reply, I like to reply back. You know, sort of like a conversation. Anyway...

Oh I would bet on it!

I still don't get why two kids that old can't walk. I'm sure kids from that neighborhood have been doing for years and haven't been any worse for doing it. These aren't kindergartners, they are big kids. I don't get why how much he ways matters, I have a skinny guy and that has never stopped him.

I'm also surprised the OP didn't check the school situation out before buying the house. That was one of the first things we did when looking.


It always amazes me how many kids get busses for such short distances, no wonder peoples taxes are so high.

My kids walked from kindergarten, till they went to the charter school in 5th grade, that was 4 miles away for 1 school and about 8 for the other. Then it was up to the parents to figure out how to get them there, that is the main reason I didn't return to work full time. We wanted the kids to go there so we sacrificed the income.

It is the SAME school that kids (Well, dd wasn't in middle school yet.) went to last semester. They bussed them from here because (I found this out after the fact) they consider one of the streets the kids would have to cross too busy and unsafe. We are currently one mile from the school.




They are physically capable of walking.
They will walk sometimes.

Well, like all threads, even the most innocent, this one is veering off topic and becoming an argument. So thanks to those who replied.

 

[aprilgail2]

Oh one more thing, what about bikes?

I don't know about other schools but if kids show up on bikes here they send them home to bring the bike home and walk back. They could bike and lock them up someplace off of school property but you can't bring them on school property or chain them up to school fences.

 

[disneyfans95]

1.5 miles! What is so horrible about this..

The OP is just trolling now.. We had 10 different suggestions and of course nothing is good enough..

Basically unless they change the WHOLE school rules for her, they will never be happy..

Amazing

1.5 miles.. This is how the whole thing will end up.. Accept it, deal with it and off you go.

At the end of the day, if this was so important to you, you should have looked into it before you bought the house.. The responsibly lies on the OP, not the school.

 

[FayeW]

I disagree - parents need to figure out how to get their children to school.

Call me old fashioned, but I believe the responsibility for feeding children belongs to the parents, not the school.

Getting children safely to the school the government mandates they attend should be a school board priority.