There’s a lot for us to agree upon.
It’s too easy in this day and age to find divisive topics, but I refuse to sit in that space. After all, there’s a lot for us to agree on. For example:
“Can we all just agree that getting kids to and from school safely would be great?”
With the pending closures involved with the Facilities Master Plan, this is one question on the minds of all USD 259 stakeholders—kids, parents, staff, and your future board member! Proximity to a school matters for particpation, attendance, community support, and for simple transportation considerations. As a mom of kids who walk or bike to school without an adult, I’m still nervous some days because they have to cross busy streets. That’s why I talked with Bike Walk Wichita staff recently, to learn more about pedestrian and cyclist transportation around Wichita and how that might affect USD 259 students. I’m especially concerned how school closures will affect families with limited transportation options. One Bike Walk Wichita employee, who prefers being behind the scenes, asked the question,
“If your vehicle broke down, could you get to school without calling a friend?”
It’s a great question, pointing to our community’s resilience in the face of adversity. Because cars break down sometimes! And that’s presupposing that a personal vehicle was your transportation to begin wtih. And if it’s 25 degrees outside, and the only options are to have your student walk 2.5 miles to school or stay home, well, that’s a hard choice. (In most circumstances 2.5 miles is the distance before a student qualfies for bussing.) We need to give our families better choices, and we need to be fully aware of the consequences of closing schools beyond the district’s budget.
Here are the other questions on my mind: Are there better ways to improve attendance for students who depend on their own transportation because they’re within the bussed boundary (meaning they are too close to qualify for bussing)? Do we have the infrastructure to keep kids safe while they’re traveling to and from school? If you have other questions you think I should be considering, about transportation or other district issues, drop me a line.
In the meantime, please take a look at some of the resources below and consider taking a Safe Routes to School Survey for Wichita.
QUICK SURVEY- Wichita Area Metro Planning Organization- School routes
Be safe.
Amy