My youngest daughter just turned 12 and is in seventh grade at Oxford Middle School.
We live in the Lake Villa Manufactured Home Community at the furthest entrance from the middle school.
She came home today and immediately called me because I’m working a double shift as I have three jobs.
She proceeded to inform me that her bus driver told her she could no longer ride the bus, which she and her brother ride daily, due to the fact that we live on the boundary of the ‘walk zone,? as the Transportation Supervisor informed me in my many follow-up phone calls.
He also informed me that he and others actually went out initially and measured ‘to the school line? at the time of determination, which he said is school ‘policy.?
This ‘school line? is actually the entrance to the main drive between Lakeville Elementary and OMS. For anyone who has ever walked it ? I have in the middle of a snowstorm and it wasn’t fun, and I’m from New York and no novice when it comes to walking everywhere. It is a very long driveway from the ‘school line? at Lakeville Rd to the side entrance that leads to the office, it measures between 0.4 – 0.5 mile on my car’s odometer. From the bus stop at Chinkapin Rill to the same entrance at the middle school it is exactly 1.2 miles. From our house it is exactly 1.3 miles. It is not the .9 mile quoted to me by transportation.
I was given three options by the transportation supervisor, none of which are safe options for a 12-year-old to be walking through alone. I don’t know about other parents, but my daughter is not walking thru the wooded ‘happy trail? or as Transportation would like to call it ‘the walking path.? It has an unpleasant history at best and is overgrown – two of the three options involved the ‘happy trail.?
The third option involved walking out of our sub, along Lakeville Rd ? have we forgotten about the pipeline across the street? ? and then walking up the long drive to OMS. Traffic backed up on this drive in the mornings is hazardous in a vehicle, never mind walking. Transportation’s suggestion was to cross over traffic and the elementary school’s driveways to the ‘lighted path? that runs between the wooded area and the football field.
This area is not patrolled, nor can anyone be seen from the driveway when walking on it, not to mention this ‘walk zone? is actually well over the one mile determining limit – school line or no school line. Additionally, when I questioned how this path is accessible in winter under feet of snow, I got no response from transportation or the school board. I would have to assume they may provide ATVs?
These are not acceptable, safe options for any child, especially in light of the recent killing of the 14-year-old girl walking her dog on a trail in a neighboring town; I do not feel safe having any child walking any distance to school, not to mention if one looks in the sex offender registry for this Oxford area. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am a single mother who works hard to keep my children safe. I do not have an unlimited support system, and cannot always drive my daughter to/from school.
Are our children and their safety not of the utmost importance?
Myself, my family and friends would be devastated if something were to happen to any of our children all because the school system says we are too close to warrant being able to safely ride the bus. That ‘too close walk zone? is the difference of one street!!
I’m curious when this ‘walk zone? determination was decided. I’m thinking some time ago and times have changed.
While I realize that my child is no more or less important than anyone else’s, I do believe that any child needing to get safely to and from school should have the option of riding a bus, no matter how close they live.
Today is far different than it was when we parents went to school.
All I know is that I’m quite thankful that this is my last child going through the Oxford School System.
It seems no matter what you do to avoid issues – it’s never quite good enough. I would really be interested in public opinion, as safety for our children is paramount.
Janet Hetzel
Oxford