Below is the edited version of the letter to the editor that was submitted to the local newspaper. I'm sure this will make many people angry - but it's an important issue that the school district needs to deal with. It's also something that our local paper should deal with instead of reprinting most of their information from the AP News. I'm quite certain they have journalists at the paper so I'm confused as to why we continue to have most of the news in our paper come off of the AP wire. Certainly if I wanted to read about things everywhere else I could buy a bigger paper that would give me a better variety of information - instead I buy a local paper for the LOCAL news and get information that really doesn't let me know how the local people are dealing with things!
So, here it is -
To The Editor,
On Tuesday 8/19/2008 the Daily Chronicle ran an article titled “More kids walking to school as fuel prices climb” which was an Associated Press article regarding the impact in Providence, Rhode Island. This disappointed me considering that this is something that the DeKalb School District is obviously dealing with as many of us found out with less than two weeks left before the start of the school year when we were told our children would no longer receive busing to and from school.
The letter we received said our children no longer qualified for busing. I contacted the district, and was told that our home is 1.44 miles from the school - therefore the district is not required to bus my children (per the Board of Education Website, Illinois Schools are required to bus children only if they live more than 1.50 miles from the school).After talking with some of my neighbors I’ve found that we have a great many concerns, all of which have been brushed off by the district office when we have mentioned them. Our concerns are many. Our children have to cross Greenbrier without the assistance of a crossing guard. Greenbrier is a very busy road with mainly college traffic - this is a dangerous area for our children to walk. Other concerns involve the two registered sex offenders and various other violent felons. I wonder if the same people who made the decision to stop busing for our children would allow their own children to walk unescorted to and from school along the same route our children must walk.
On 8/25/08 I walked my children to school for the first day, there was a crossing guard just pulling up as we crossed Hillcrest, too late to be of assistance to my children. When we reached Ridge and Normal there was not a crossing guard present. There were already many children walking. Where were the crossing guards that the district assured us would be there?
It would have been nice if the Chronicle had reported on this problem as it pertains to DeKalb’s school district and the families within it instead of reprinting something from another area of the country. The Daily Chronicle is a local paper and as such should report the news as it pertains to the people of this community.
Sincerely,
Patty Croom
A blog about my exploits on my bike, my adventures with my camera, my life of rock and roll concerts, my 4 kids, and just about any other topic I think worth talking about.
2 comments:
Boy she is a whiney thing isn't she. 1.4 miles to school? About 20 minutes, right?
That's just lazy.
Not really lazy - middle of winter here - no sidewalks shoveled - plus 3 kids with a heart condition that causes them to have to sit down and rest as well as having to fight to regulate body temps while walking ... I don't mind the walk - and I ride year round but to some 5 - 10 year olds that's a long walk especially in bad weather. The other issue is that they aren't providing crossing guards at one of the busy roads. If the kids have to walk they should at least post crossing guards on that road as well...
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