Lakeville Elementary kindergartner Chad Linke’s walk from his house to the bus stop has his parents concerned, while school officials say there’s little they can do about it.
Linke has to walk through two empty lots on his way to the bus stop.
His mother, Kelly Linke, said they usually walk in the streets when they get to the empty lots because they’re filled with weeds and burrs, and when it rains, the lots become muddy.
The Linkes cut the weeds, but when winter rolls around and snow starts coating the lots, they’ll either have to walk in the street or through a shoveled-out path, which again will be their responsibility to maintain.
Because she doesn’t like her son walking that distance by himself, Mrs. Linke usually walks Chad to the bus stop after getting his two younger siblings, ages 3 and 18 months, dressed and ready to go. Having to walk in the street concerns her because some cars tend to drive faster than the 25 mile-per-hour speed limit.
‘We’re managing, but it’ll be a problem in the winter,? Linke said. ‘At that time, I’ll end up driving him (to school), which means taking the two younger kids. It’ll be easier putting the two younger kids in the car in their pajamas then it is to bundle them in their snow suits and take them to the bus stop.?
She added: ?(Driving) defeats the whole purpose of having a bus. He’s excited about riding a bus.?
Based on the perceptions of Linke’s husband, Jorg, driving Chad to kindergarten in the winter will probably be their best alternative.
‘I’m primarily concerned about the roads at dinner time, when the snow plows bring up high walls of ice,? Mr. Linke said. ‘You have just one lane in the street.?
Originally the Linke’s house, located near the Shores of Oxford Lake in the Oxford Lakes subdivision, was about 450 feet away from the bus stop. After making calls to the Oxford Schools Transportation Department, the bus stop was moved closer. Linke estimates the distance is now around 200 feet or more.
While a shorter distance is an improvement, the Linkes wanted to know if the bus could pick up their five year-old son right in front of their house instead of making him walk all the way down to the bus stop.
?[The closer bus stop] helps us, but it doesn’t address our open lot concerns,? Jorg Linke said.
According to Char Podzikowski, transportation supervisor for the school district, rules dictate bus stops can be no more than a quarter of a mile (1,320 feet) from a kindergartner’s house.
Bus stops for students first grade through high school are allowed to be up to a half-mile away.
‘Our distances are very gracious,? the supervisor said, adding the lack of sidewalks in the empty lot is an issue that should be taken up with the subdivision’s homeowner’s association. ‘We expect parents to assist their children going to and from the stop. That’s the parents? responsibility.?
‘Putting in sidewalks is something I don’t see happening in the current housing situation,? Jorg Linke said, referring Michigan’s sluggish economy and its impact on home sales. ‘The owner of the lots might see it as a money issue.?
Richard Komer, managing member of Wineman and Komer, the builder which owns the empty lots little Chad must trek through, confirmed that sidewalks won’t be built anytime soon.
‘We don’t put the sidewalks in until we’re ready to construct a house since they’d be damaged by the heavy equipment,? Komer said. ‘There’s a substantial expense in putting a sidewalk which would be damaged by construction.?
Komer added that unless there were extenuating circumstances, such as a handicapped student, he didn’t see the justification of putting in sidewalks for an empty lot.
Because the prospect of sidewalks doesn’t look likely, Linke hopes school transportation officials can be flexible and offer front-of-the-house pickup.
‘We were under the impression that when your child is in kindergarten they’re picked up in front of the house,? she said. ‘I talked to other school districts and to a girlfriend who teaches in Traverse City. Their children are picked up in front of their houses.?
Linke also is puzzled why some parents seem to be able to get the bus stop changed with a phone call while she and others along her street had to get written consents from neighbors and submit them to the school.
Podzikowski acknowledged that this has happened and recalled that one woman was concerned because her kids had to walk across two street intersections at Aspen Lane and Whispering Winds to get to their bus stop. She went out and checked it and, based on what she observed, decided to change their bus stop.
While Podzikowski sympathizes with the Linke’s concerns, she said there is only so much the school can do within the schedule they have to get kids transported to schools.
‘Everyone tells me that we go right by their house. But this doesn’t mean we can stop at every house,? the supervisor said. ‘If we stopped at every house, we’d never get the kids to school on time.?
Podzikowski added that she’s surprised this is still an issue since she received the petition and moved the bus stop, as per the request.
Despite the concerns some parents have about safety and distance, Podzikowski feels the school is doing all it can to accommodate the parents? concerns.
‘In some cases, you have kids on back roads with no lights or no sidewalks, and they’re walking a little further on a dirt road,? she said. ‘I’ve explained that to some of the parents I’ve met with who’ve said we’re not fair. We are fair.?
The supervisor estimated that 85 percent of the school district is on dirt roads and that many of those dirt roads get very dark due to their locations and to drooping trees.