Should special provisions be made for children living in Auburn’s Cary Woods subdivision to be granted bussing privileges to Drake Middle School? Concerns were brought before the Auburn City Schools Board of Education Tuesday night regarding safety of kids who must cross the well-traveled North Donahue Drive to get to and from class.
Parents at the meeting consider the street unsafe for children to cross, whether they are on foot or on a bicycle.
And they are right. It’s hazardous.
As the area continues to grow, more and more traffic will develop on this main artery that extends from the heart of Auburn University to new subdivisions to the city’s northwest.
When construction is complete on the road project at the intersection of Donahue and Magnolia Avenue, traffic along North Donahue only figures to get worse.
However, state law prohibits children who live within two miles of their respective school to receive bus transportation to that school.
The Code of Alabama, Section 16-13-233, reads: “No allowance shall be made for transporting pupils who live less than two miles from the school they are attending unless such pupils can be shown to be disabled and require transportation.
“Upon a petition to the State Superintendent of Education by the local board of education, the two-mile limit may be waived by the State Superintendent of Education to protect the safety of the children.
“The total amount allotted any local board of education for transportation shall not exceed a figure determined by the State Board of Education in terms of the ratio between pupils transported to school and the total number of pupils attending school in the jurisdiction of such local board of education or some similar ratio established by the State Board of Education.
“Any local board of education which qualifies for a transportation allowance must provide buses which meet minimum standards established by the State Board of Education and must take such other steps to protect the safety of the children as are required under regulations of the State Board of Education.”
Fair enough. Auburn could petition the state to waive the two-mile limit in this circumstance. It wouldn’t hurt to try.
Such policies should at least be examined in special circumstances.
Cary Woods might fall into that category.
Times change. Populations change.
Policies can change with them.
We recognize there are economic restrictions that come with keeping up with a fleet of buses, but children’s safety should be paramount.
In the meantime, the City of Auburn should consider placing crossing guards at strategic locations along North Donahue where students cross the road. We don’t need a child to get injured – or worse.
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