Courtesy Busing Changes

[Jody_Branin]

Pay close attention to the Kindergarten Bus Change.  They will only bus them one way.  AM Kindergarten will be transported home, PM Kindergarten will be transported to school.  ONLY.  (At least that's the way I'm reading it.)  EEK! 

http://www.howell.k12.nj.us/default.aspx

http://www.howell.k12.nj.us/files/news/864/courtesybus_list.pdf

[Jackie Everitt]

I never understood why we bused everyone anyway.  Hey - I said do something to keep my town affordable and for once the Board listened.  By the way - I live in Glen Arden and my daughter goes to Aldrich so we will loss our bus. 

[Keith_Raposa]

Its funny, my attitude is good, let my kids take there bikes to school.  Its all sidewalks from Oak Glen to Newbury.  My wife on the other hand thinks its the end of the world.  I had no problem walking to school, it will do the kids good to get a little exercise everyday.

[Fran_Albury]

If kids are going to bike to school, they need to install bike racks so the kids can lock up their bikes. 

I think they'll be OK if they walk in groups.  The exercise might help keep them fit. 

FWIW, my street is listed on the list of proposed walkers
http://www.howell.k12.nj.us/files/news/864/courtesybus_list.pdf
so my kids would be walking. 

I'll go with them the first few times, but I think it would be good for them to get some more exercise. 

I am enough of  a nervous parent that I will probably get my older one a cell phone because it would make me feel safer if she had it.  I'm sure if she finds this out she'll be strongly in favor of getting to walk to school.    

Good for the children from a fitness perspective and it's better for the environment. 

[Fran_Albury]

Although looking at schools affected by the courtesy busing changes, it seems like once again it's the Aldrich (and former Southard) families being affected.   Didn't we do enough last year?

Yes, I see Newbury and Taunton students will be walking, too. 

Why not anyone from northern or eastern Howell? 

[Jackie Everitt]

Perhaps because there are no sidewalks on the roads where the children would be walking at the other schools.  I never understood why the kids in Glen Arden were bussed to Aldrich anyway - then again I did not grow up in a courtesy bussing community.

[John Gazire]

Horrible news in these times. All the parents on my street still don't let the kids go past the end of the cul-de-sacs now we are suppose to let 5,6,7,8 year olds walk down the street and Aldrich rd.
How much will we be paying for crossing guards? Hopefully they thought of that. I sure hope they don't expect these kids to be crossing intersections by themselves.

I don't care about exercise, or the environment, or cost savings. This is about the safety of little kids and this is a horrible decision.  If one of these kids gets hit by a car, bullied,  or kidnapped there will be HELL to pay.

[Jody_Branin]

Perhaps because there are no sidewalks on the roads where the children would be walking at the other schools.  I never understood why the kids in Glen Arden were bussed to Aldrich anyway - then again I did not grow up in a courtesy bussing community.

Good point and I think you are spot on about the sidewalks.  I did some searching last night on the other Schools on Google (arial maps) and the other Schools do not have sidewalks, save the New Schools on Adelphia Road but the neighborhoods around it don't have sidewalks on Adelphia Road.

What I don't get is the Kindergarteners.  The buses are already coming into the neighborhoods Morning and  late Afternoon.  If they're going to eliminate something, make it the Mid Day.  

The parents must impress upon the children that are walking to walk with a group.  If they can't then a parent should walk with them.  With so many out of jobs, there should be a parent available to walk with the children.  This CAN work out .


Also - Glen Arden Children - isn't there a back way into the School?  I haven't checked what streets are to walk but I would send my child the back way even if they have to walk a bit more.

[Chris_Estevez]

Gotta love this "North Howell" vs. "South Howell" garbage. It is one town folks. Stick together so that we can actually do something about runaway taxes.

The reason there is bussing in "North Howell" is that the schools were not built in the respective developments that they serve. The schools are on County Road 524, there are no sidewalks on this road. It is also a very busy throughfare with all the development in the last 15 years and it is the main road from Farmingdale to Route 9. It is also a cut through for may people that live in Wall and Lakewood to pick up Rt 9.  Vehicular traffic routinely reaches 55 miles an hour on this road.

Do you want YOUR young child crossing this road or walking along it without any sidewalks? All of the other schools mentioned have sidewalks and most of the students live in the developements that they serve.

For the record, I think dropping Courtesy Busing is a big mistake. It is not 1950 anymore. Howell is between Lakewood and Asbury. We also have enough of our own homegrown crime. This is an invitation for pedophilies and other dregs of society to prey on our children. No matter what part of town they live in. 

It is going to be interesting how the schools are going to deal with all the traffic they created when many of the parents drive and pick up there kids. Are you going to let your Kindergartener walk home from school? Even if a fifth grader is with them. The traffic at the schools is going to be unbelieveable. 

Please give the "North Vs. South" thing a rest. The civil war is over. LOL! We need to stick together as a community to reign in this albatross of a school board that we are saddled with. What is good for one part of the community is good for the whole community.

     
 

[Jody_Branin]

BTW folks - take a look at Farmingdale.  Everybody walks to school there.  Even some of the Teachers! 

[Kathy_Schott]

What I don't get is the Kindergarteners.  The buses are already coming into the neighborhoods Morning and  late Afternoon.  If they're going to eliminate something, make it the Mid Day.  

I understand it to mean that all Kindergarten students will get courtesy busing for mid-day, then fall under the 2-mile rule for beginning or end of day, just like all the other students.  So the buses will be coming into those neighborhoods only if the other kids are being bused, and the Kindergarten kids would then be bused with them as has been the custom--or at least it was the custom when my kids were in elementary school, which was a while ago, now that I think about it! 

[Jody_Branin]

What I don't get is the Kindergarteners.  The buses are already coming into the neighborhoods Morning and  late Afternoon.  If they're going to eliminate something, make it the Mid Day.  

I understand it to mean that all Kindergarten students will get courtesy busing for mid-day, then fall under the 2-mile rule for beginning or end of day, just like all the other students. 

Ahhhh - OK - I just re-read it.  Thanks!    Then there will obviously be adults walking to and from school which is a good thing. 

[James_Obrien]

What I don't get is the Kindergarteners.  The buses are already coming into the neighborhoods Morning and  late Afternoon.  If they're going to eliminate something, make it the Mid Day.  

I understand it to mean that all Kindergarten students will get courtesy busing for mid-day, then fall under the 2-mile rule for beginning or end of day, just like all the other students.  So the buses will be coming into those neighborhoods only if the other kids are being bused, and the Kindergarten kids would then be bused with them as has been the custom--or at least it was the custom when my kids were in elementary school, which was a while ago, now that I think about it! 

The mid day run for the kindergaten is being done some they will not be walking alone at that time. In the AM and PM they will have older children and in some cases parents to wallk with.

The simple answer is to support education, vote yes and there would be no need for this conversation. Howell has not supported education for the twenty years I have lived hear. Every time a budget went down more and more got cut. The long range plan was for smaller class size, courtisy bussing and all the things we asked the Board to provide.

But when they did we voted not to pay for it!!! Know we walk

[John Gazire]

 James being I am on the Glen Arden Homeowners Association. I will only respond about my development. I read you last sentence, so your saying to the 450 home owners of Glen Arden that since Howell voted down the budget the penalty is the safety of OUR children?

Read my quote. I usually just sit back and read the back and forth non-sense but when something gets me ticked I will take a stand. I support education 100% but spending needs to be kept in check.

[Jody_Branin]

The simple answer is to support education, vote yes and there would be no need for this conversation. Howell has not supported education for the twenty years I have lived hear. Every time a budget went down more and more got cut. The long range plan was for smaller class size, courtisy bussing and all the things we asked the Board to provide.

But when they did we voted not to pay for it!!! Know we walk

Your first sentence really puts me on edge.  Some of the "No" votes are because of the tactics used to try to persuade the public to vote yes.  It's always Vote YES or we'll take this or that away.  These are educators - don't you think they could put a little more thought into their persuasive essay?