Students tell board cold-weather walk to school is long; student representatives ask district to consider seasonal bus

Student representatives to the Southington Board of Education reported on school events and asked the board to consider a seasonal bus for a neighborhood where students face a long, cold walk to school.

In a student report at the Jan. 23 meeting student representatives said midterms wrapped up at the high school and listed several upcoming activities (drama rehearsals, American Legion oratorical contest on Jan. 27, concerts and school productions). The student report then raised a specific concern: students who live near Palo Bridal School (as described in the report) face a roughly 20-minute walk to school. The student representative said families and students in that neighborhood were collecting signatures and that colder morning temperatures (reported as 0'4 degrees that week) made the walk especially difficult and had contributed to some students getting sick.

The student representative suggested exploring a seasonal bus to support the neighborhood during the cold months; the representative said students and parents were interested in discussing possible steps the board could take. No board vote or action was taken at the meeting; the item was presented during the student communications portion of the agenda and staff or board members did not commit to a specific follow-up at that time.

The student report also highlighted extracurricular successes across the district: music and choral concerts at O'Shaughnessy Elementary School, awards for elementary students in arts recognition events, middle-school and high-school athletics records, and upcoming performances and events across the district.