Walking school buses plateaued despite increase in children walking
About 1,900 more elementary school children are expected to walk to school this year after the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority revised its walking zones and cut the number of school buses.
But only eight schools will have paid walking supervisors this year; the same number of schools as last year. They are:
- Assumption School.
- St. Gabriel School.
- Connaught Public School.
- Covent Glen Elementary School.
- Elmdale Public School.
- Robert Bateman Public School.
- Steve Maclean Public School.
- Woodroffe Avenue Public School.
Another four schools are on a waiting list:
- Lakeview Public Shcool.
- Roch Carrier Elementary School.
- Chapel Hill Catholic School.
- Century Public School.
The supervisors are trained in first aid and are expected to help walk children to school every day unless there’s a major storm.
They’re paid $33 per shift and are not expected to help walk children home.
The Chatterley family have four children under the age of 10 at Lakeview Public School, which applied for a paid walking supervisor and was put on a waiting list.
“Our school starts at 8:30 a.m., it’s pretty rushed over there. I don’t feel safe walking across Corkstown Road. It’s a bus route,” said Neal Chatterley.
He said he worries more parents will be driving their children to school.
“If you’ve got more walkers then you’re going to have less cars, and there’s going to be a lot less traffic right on that intersection outside the school,” said Neal Chatterley.
“Because they’re pushing the number of cars dropping off out onto the roads and so it’s definitely more dangerous than it ever has been in the past.”
The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority said it’s up to parents to tell their school principals if they want a paid walking supervisor.
Some parents also organize their own walking systems, said the authority’s general manager, Vicky Kyriaco.
“Every single community has [students who walk to school on their own]. Whether they actually need to be organized to walk to school depends on the school community. Some are quite happy sending their children to walk to school in groups. They don’t need a paid walking school bus leader,” Kyriaco said.
The authority expects more interest in its walking supervisors but applications have closed for the year.
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