Citation

Walljasper J. Utne Read. 2001; (Sep/Oct): 5-6.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Lens Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Walking to school is a special childhood rite of initiation, but, sadly, it is disappearing from the life of many American communities. And not for the reasons many people think. Racial integration plans and fear of abduction drive fewer kids into school buses and parents' minivans than other, less recognized factors: the closing of small neighborhood schools and speeding traffic that imperils pint-sized pedestrians. Alarmed by what's happening all across the country, the National Trust for Historic Preservation included neighborhood schools in its 2000 list of America's Most Endangered Historic Places. But this is a bigger issue than simply architectural heritage. Communities that have lost their school feel different without kids laughing and clowning along the sidewalks. It's more difficult for parents (especially low-income families) to participate in activities at distant schools, and they must shoulder more responsibility for chauffeuring their kids home from after-school programs. Bigger, far-flung schools add to the already rising costs of education. A study in Maine found that while school enrollment in the state dropped by 27,000 between 1970 and 1995, the annual costs for busing jumped from $8.7 million to $54 million, due in large part to the consolidation of local schools. The trend toward larger, out-of-the-way schools defies a tide of recent evidence showing that small schools serve students better than large ones do. KW: SR2S

Language: en