Gardner, MA currently only guarantees school bus coverage through Kindergarten at Public School. Despite ongoing educational improvements in the city, including a new Elementary School inclusive for grades Pre-K through 4th Grade, the school system is lagging behind recommendations for our children with regard to transportation. 

Currently, if your child lives in a 1 mile Radius of the school, they do not qualify to take a bus after Kindergarten and must either walk or be driven to the school.

1st, There are several residential neighborhoods and apartment complexes in this range in addition to normal walking and carpool traffic, which leaves area traffic encumbered. 

2nd, and most importantly, the AAP disagrees with this and states that this is contrary to their recommendations.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), kids are not ready to walk to school alone until about fifth grade or around age 10. By disallowing children in the group of 1st to 4th grade from bus services, it is putting children at risk. There are several sex offenders in the immediate area of the school (over 40 within 2 miles of the school), and forcing children to walk in this sensitive age group is dangerous. 

Finally, it is putting a great strain on working parents who need the busses to make it to work on time. 

I understand bus driver shortages, cost, and other concerns, however the safety of the children should be highest priority. 

This petition is to ask the school district to extend the guaranteed coverage to include ALL children up to 5th grade - to comply with AAD recommendations, no matter where they live, cut back on traffic to the school, cut emissions emissions by carpooling over driving, keep the children safe, and so many more reasons.