Children’s Safety Should Never Be Optional

We are calling on Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board to immediately review and revise its policy regarding student transportation eligibility. Currently, the board is determining whether a child qualifies as a "walker" based solely on distance, without ensuring that the route is safe year-round.

• One specific walkway being used in these calculations is officially closed between November and April and is marked with a “Use At Your Own Risk” sign. This path is not winter-maintained and becomes treacherous during snow and ice. Yet it is still being counted as part of a student’s walking route.

This is unacceptable.

As parents, we teach our children to obey signs, follow directions, and make safe decisions. Meanwhile, school board leadership is ignoring posted warnings and putting children at risk. This is hypocrisy and a serious safety oversight.

We demand that the school board:

• Immediately stop using closed or seasonally unsafe walkways in eligibility calculations. 
• Commit to using only safe, accessible, and seasonally maintained routes.
• Update its transportation policy to prioritize child safety over arbitrary distance.

Whether or not your child is currently impacted, this is an issue that affects us all. Today it's one path, tomorrow it could be another. Join us in ensuring every student’s safety is non-negotiable.

Sign and share this petition. Let's make sure our voices are heard.