Back-to-School Transportation Issues
Do the Wheels on the Bus Need to Go Round and Round?
School buses get, on average, from 6-10 miles per gallon and they all use diesel fuel which costs approximately $5/gallon. The price is way up from what has been typically allowed in most school budgets.
Administrative leaders in the schools are looking much more closely at bus routes, shortening some routes and removing some bus routes altogether. In the end, there seems to be a question as to whether it will be enough to offset the rising cost of fuel.
Some schools have eliminated bus use for all extracurricular activities and others have begun to charge students for use of the bus for those same purposes. Some schools have turned to a 4 day school schedule instead of 5 days in the hopes of offsetting those rising fuel costs.
Gone are the days when schools were built within communities and most students walked to and from school. In inclement weather, one or two parents would transport a carload of neighborhood children.
Perhaps it is time to rethink the community school. In times past, every neighborhood had its own elementary school and junior high school. Most students never rode a bus until they reached high school, and then many students drove themselves to and from school.
Maybe, instead of building such huge schools and busing students long distances, it would be much better to build small neighborhood schools and eliminate the need for school bus service. There would be many benefits to the students as well. Kindergarten children would no longer be falling asleep on the school bus and missing their bus stop at the end of the day. Parents could more easily visit the school, offering their time to assist teachers in the classroom and to prepare for special events at the school. It would create a very close-knit community within and outside of school. And, it would save untold fuel dollars that could be spent to actually improve the schools and buy more materials to be used in the education of our children.
Sometimes bigger just isn't better. Returning to neighborhood schools and improving the educational facilities instead of pouring huge sums of money into gas tanks would definitely be a huge step in the right direction. The wheels on the bus don't need to go round and round when it takes money away from the education of our children.
Sources:
http://schoolfinder.globalscholar.com/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/29/four-day-school-week-high_n_104153.html
http://www.wgal.com/news/17032757/detail.html
Published by Vicki Messer
In 1997 I began a personal journey of healing from years of childhood sexual abuse. For the better part of 10 years, I worked my way through the painful repressed memories of incest at the hands of several... View profile
New Safety Rules for School Buses ProposedIn an effort to protect bus riders, new safety standards are being proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.- Our Children Are Not Safe on Some School Buses Without Seat BeltsThere is no federal legislation about seat belts on school buses. The majority of school buses do not have seat belts.
- Bullying on the School BusesThis article is about bullying on the school buses that has become a major safety concern, and it contains a few suggestions to battle it.
- Trucking Industry in Trouble; Jevic Transportation Closes Citing High Fuel Costs The country will soon be positive that it is in a recession. The trucking industry is showing signs of slowing to the point of ceasing.
- The Solution to Inflated Fuel CostsEverybody's talking about it. The cost of fuel is rising daily. These inflated prices are effecting every area of our jeopardized economy, from our grocery bill to the cost of a single flower. The solution is simple.
- School Bus Rider Safety Tips
- Should School Buses Have Seat Belts?
- Pollutants Still Coming from School Buses
- School Bus Safety: Give Caution to School Buses
- Should Seat Belts Be Required on School Buses?
- Stopping the Bully in the Schools and on the School Buses
- What Are You Doing to Cut Your Fuel Costs?
4 Comments
Post a CommentIt's ironic that so many neighborhood schools have closed and kids are bused to larger metropolitan schools in an effort to save money on administrative costs, and now the price of gas is an issue! We have school buses to pick up kids in town who could very easily walk to school.
I like this article, Joy. We are going to have to rethink the way we do things from the days of cruising, joy rides and Sunday drives. Walking, biking and alternative transportation has to become a bigger part of our lives and that includes looking at our schools.
great article, we fought and lost the neighbourhood schools, because the english communities is declining here in montreal, whereas I walked to school my son never had the opportunity the neighbourhood was torn down and replaced by housing.
Another great piece, Joy. The buses around here broke down more times last year than they ran. It was a disgrace.