Letters

All kids deserve to be bused

December 16, 2016   ·   0 Comments

I am a concerned parent of two children who are required to walk to school, including in the snowy months.
We live on the King Street East in downtown Bolton. My kids have to walk from John Street to the Catholic high school on Columbia Way.
Monday, for example, I didn’t allow them to walk as they would have had to cross over a bridge on sidewalks that weren’t cleared, forcing them to walk directly on King Street (extremely dangerous I will say). This is so they can get to a set of lights to cross King safely.
This has been an ongoing issue because even if they come by to plow the side walk, it is so narrow and close to the road, the road plows come by and pile it again with snow.
I don’t understand why kids from downtown that have to cross major roads and have to walk up hill in bad weather.
The school board has been contacted, not only by myself, but also by concerned family members. We were told to speak to the bussing company. We were also told that since the school first opened with only Grades 9 and 10, they have never increased the number of buses to accommodate the increase of the student body, now that it runs from Grades 9 to 12. To my understanding, taxes paid to the school board are to include transportation. So why are some students eligible and others not if everyone’s portion of school taxes are being paid, even by those who don’t have children attending school. If I am correct, then every child should be bused, even if they live a block away.
They do offer courtesy seating, but at stops that make no sense whatsoever. My kids would still run into the same problem of walking on unsafe roads/sidewalks and having to catch a bus from the south west side of town or walk up Queen Street south to Ellwood Drive. This doesn’t make sense, as the school is on the very north side of town.
Bottom line is I want my kids to get to school safe. Not just my kids, but all that have to trek through the same conditions. Our community always talks about the how important the safety of our children is, how are schools keep saying the safety of our children is their top concern. Then how about we put that into action.
Barbara Giglio,
Bolton

         

Readers Comments (0)