School one mile policy worries parents

FRANKFORT, Ind. (WLFI) - A change in school policy has some parents upset their children could have to walk up to a mile to get to school.

The Community Schools of Frankfort enacted a policy this school year that students living within a mile of their school cannot ride the bus to school.

"The kids are our number one concern here," explained parent Melissa Davis. Her seven-year-old son Levi would have to walk almost a mile to school if she didn't drive him.

It was a packed room at the Community Schools of Frankfort school board meeting Tuesday evening as parents voiced their opinions about the one mile walk zone that took effect last week when school began. The policy states all students living within a mile of their school will not be transported by bus.

Superintendent Les Bivens said before, the district didn't have a policy about bus stops. The corporation sent 800 letters home after the board approved the policy in March to the parents of students who would be affected.

"It did not have to do with money. It had to do with equity," he explained.

Bivens said the reasoning for the one mile walk zone policy is because the number of bus riders would be balanced in the mornings, but in the afternoons it would shift. He said students would ride different buses to get to their day cares, causing some buses to have too many riders.

Davis explained her seven-year-old son Levi would walk by four or five sex offenders on his route to school.

"Frankfort does not have sidewalks available on all the routes to the school. We have forty-some registered sex offenders that live within these one mile walk zones these children will have to pass," she said.

Bivens said the city is doing its part to help. They've painted crosswalks and now have more than they ever have had.

"The crossing areas and the sidewalks are not the responsibility of the school system. They are the responsibility of the city of Frankfort," Bivens explained.

Parent Kimberly Timmons told the board how her two daughters would have to cross Highway 39 to get to school. She said there is a cross guard at Highway 39 but her daughters do have an alternate route that she believes isn't any safer.

"Now that Highway 39 is closed, Alhambra [Avenue] takes a lot of the overflow traffic. I mean, we have Frito Lay semis going down there on a consistent basis. Heavy duty trucks. Multiple vehicles. It is kind of termed as the race track," Timmons said.

Bivens said students don't necessarily have to walk to school. He says there are alternatives.

"Carpool is an option. There is a private bus service here in town that could be an option, although you have to pay for that. So, there are other options to that," Bivens said. "They can walk in groups and not walk individually. Have older kids [walk with them]. We are really sorry that situation has occurred, but school corporations cannot be all things to all people."

For many parents, the alternatives may not be options and they continue to try and find a solution.

"We've got some parents who have gone to second shift so one parent can take the child to school and the other can pick up," Davis said.

Parents have created a facebook group about the one mile walk policy.

Bivens said, should the board want to re-evaluate the policy, it would take two board meetings to make changes.