What are the benefits of the Walking School Bus?
Walking to school has many, many benefits for children.
For example:
National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) recommends that children engage in 60 minutes of physical activity at least four days per week. Walking to school is an easy way to build some of that physical activity into the daily routine.
Study after study has shown that physically active children perform better academically. Classroom teachers also consistently report that children perform better when they have some physical exercise in their day.
Walking School Bus FAQ's
Spring 2010
Walking to school reduces automobile traffic near schools at pick-up and drop-off times. This increases pedestrian safety and reduces air pollution.
Communities are strengthened when families work for the common good. The WSB is the perfect opportunity for parents to create a cohesive community.
Who is in charge of the children?
PedNet recruits and trains qualified volunteers to become Walking School Bus (WSB) leaders. These leaders supervise the children during the walk to school.
Training includes road safety information, familiarity with WSB Program Policies, and ideas for making the walk to school fun for the kids.
All WSB leaders must undergo a criminal background check and attend our safety training. Leaders are often parents, college students (who may receive college credit), or senior citizens.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to walk with the Walking School Bus if they have time.
What if I live too far away from school?
Most children can comfortably walk up to 1 mile to school every morning. The Walking School Bus routes generally start in a neighborhood within 1 mile of school and follow streets determined by the home locations of participating children.
For families who live more than 1 mile from school and wish to participate in the WSB program, PedNet will establish designated “staging posts” about 1 mile from school. Typical staging posts might be the ARC for West Boulevard Elementary or the Columbia Public Library for Ridgeway. Parents drop their children off at the designated time, and a WSB leader guides the walk to school.
This option is available at all participating schools, and it is the way the program normally works at magnet schools like Ridgeway and Lee.
For more information, email us or call the WSB Team at (573) 239-9902.
