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Parent urges Paola board to provide bus accommodations for children without safe walking routes
Summary
A Paola parent told the board her kindergartner lacks a safe walking route and asked the district to allow bus service or similar accommodations for homes inside the 2.5-mile eligibility boundary. The board heard the concern during open forum and did not take action at the meeting.
At the Paola School District—oard meeting, parent Ainsley Jones urged the board to provide accommodations for children who live inside the district'.5-mile bus-eligibility boundary but lack a safe walking route to school.
Jones, who said she has a kindergartner starting in the fall, described a route that would require her child to cross a 45 mph road without a crosswalk and to walk alongside a 35 mph road without sidewalks. "A safe, reliable way to school should be the standard for each student," she told board members and said other districts allow workarounds such as paid overrides.
Board rules for open forum and Kansas law (KSA 75-4319) limit the board's ability to hear or act on certain personnel and personal-complaint matters during open session; the chair reminded attendees that the board would not take action during open forum. The board did not take action at the meeting but a board member later indicated the issue could be discussed at a future meeting if placed on the agenda.
Next steps: Jones asked the board to consider policy or operational changes so students without a safe route are not forced to walk hazardous stretches; the board did not adopt a change at the meeting and no formal motion related to transportation was recorded.
