By adopting the neighborhood school concept the district can save $10 million dollars for one year and $5 million dollars each year by redefining the distance parameters. With those savings money can be placed back into the community by hiring crossing guards for our students thereby making it safe for our children to walk to school. Employing crossing guards also builds the community concept within neighborhoods.
One important point that Commissioner White made when discussing the condom issue. Parents have responsibilities in raising their children. If we relieve them of these responsibilities we are enabling them thus creating a society of irresponsible parents.
If parents are unencumbered they should walk their children to and from school. This gives parents the opportunity to interact with their child’s teacher on a daily basis which creates a more solid, positive relationship between home and school. This should not be an ask, but a requirement.
Another problem solved with the neighborhood school concept would be the underutilized large bus. Each school day of each school year large school buses that seat fifty or more students move throughout the city with no more than ten to fifteen students. The reasoning behind this is unclear. With the neighborhood school concept, one bus can pick up students within a particular zone for a particular school to capacity before another bus is designated for the same zone/school thus saving transportation costs.
According to NYSED, “Expenditures for transportation services provided for field trips, athletic trips, excursions, and noon trips for lunch cannot be used to generate Transportation Aid. The expenses for such trips are pro-rated on the basis of route mileage.” Because the number of buses needed will be reduced greatly, over 100, these buses can be assigned to school zones to be used for field experiences for which parents will not have to pay and teachers will not have to hold fund raisers, ensuring every students attendance.
There are many advantages to moving back to the neighborhood school concept, transportation is one, others will be explored, all facilitate the educational excellence of our children.
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