ASHEVILLE — Some students may have to walk up to a mile to get to their bus stops next school year.
Proposed budget cuts may force school systems across the state to significantly decrease the number of miles buses travel to pick up and drop off students, which means they’ll have to move bus stops farther from students’ homes.
The N.C. House’s proposed budget calls for cutting 7.5 percent of the funding to school transportation departments — a loss of more than $29 million statewide. Asheville City and Buncombe County schools would lose $492,000.
“It’s going to have a negative impact on children,” said Harold Laflin, director of transportation for Buncombe County Schools. “There’s no way around that. We will be forced to reduce the level of service that we provide to children.”
While it probably won’t kill these kids to walk a little further to the bus stops—I used to have to walk 10 miles in the snow, uphill in both directions—I’m sure this is kind of bummer for local parents who already have enough to worry about.
Over the last twenty years, the percentage of overweight children has doubled to over 30%. While walking a little more might be a challenge for some parents (as well as some of the kids), it might ultimately be a good thing.
Or for high school kids in rural areas it will probably increase drop out rates.
Otherwise it will make it difficult for hardworking parents whose time is short enough as it is.
Making it harder for kids to get to school is not really a great way to reduce obesity. You’re reaching if you’re attempting to find a bright spot here.
Or for high school kids in rural areas it will probably increase drop out rates.
Otherwise it will make it difficult for hardworking parents whose time is short enough as it is.
Making it harder for kids to get to school is not really a great way to reduce obesity. You’re reaching if you’re attempting to find a bright spot here.
You really think it will result in an increase in high school dropouts? Hmmm.
Walking an extra mile is cerainly more beneficial than riding in a car that mile, wouldn’t you agree?
Oh, and I wasn’t looking to “find a bright spot.” Only to point out the obvious. Obesity is a problem and getting worse, and burning a few extra calories while increasing cardiovascular health won’t cause the world to end.
Alright I actually did have to walk a mile or two to school in the snow.. and it really hurt…sometimes the wind starts blowing.. the wind chill just freezes you to the bones… and was this a deterrent for me to go to school? Yes.. my ma would keep me home and try to defrost me from the last time I almost froze to death..Sorry just brought up some bad memories..
You really think it will result in an increase in high school dropouts? Hmmm.
I certainly think that making it more difficult for rural high school children to get to school will have a negative impact. This doesn’t make sense to you?
Walking an extra mile is cerainly more beneficial than riding in a car that mile, wouldn’t you agree?
This isn’t about a stupid carbon footprint, it’s about getting kids to school.
Besides that, I’m certainly not going to let my 9 year old walk a mile anywhere by himself on the road, and most parents don’t have time in the morning to walk a mile to get their kids on a bus. Parents will simply drive their children to the bus stop, negating any positive benefits you’re imagining.
Or for high school kids in rural areas it will probably increase drop out rates.
Otherwise it will make it difficult for hardworking parents whose time is short enough as it is.
Making it harder for kids to get to school is not really a great way to reduce obesity. You’re reaching if you’re attempting to find a bright spot here.
You really think it will result in an increase in high school dropouts? Hmmm.
Walking an extra mile is cerainly more beneficial than riding in a car that mile, wouldn’t you agree?
Oh, and I wasn’t looking to “find a bright spot.” Only to point out the obvious. Obesity is a problem and getting worse, and burning a few extra calories while increasing cardiovascular health won’t cause the world to end.
I’m sure that extra mile will burn all of the substandard food a lot of children eat at home and at school, right?
My kids already walk close to 1/2 a mile to and from the bus, which I doubt will change as the stops are on Merrimon. A group of parents in our hood tried to get one of the stops moved about 300 yards, so the kids would be let out in the grassy front yard of a church instead of in a busy bank parking lot, but the powers that be wouldn’t give us the time of day.
Three lousy channels of TV and the only way to illegally download songs was to put your condensed mic cassette recorder next to the radio speaker and press “record.”
tell them to sell their xbox, ipod, laptops, and every other device that keeps them from seeing the outdoors, communicatiing with other humans and keeps them from actually studying .....
