City proposes elimination of most school busing
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Woonsocket Budget Cuts
Budget cuts may put the brakes on school buses in Woonsocket.
WOONSOCKET, R.I.—The mayor says children will have to walk to school in Woonsocket, where she says there’s no money for bus service.
Mayor Susan Menard is asking the school department to make more than $3 million in cuts to its proposed $69 million budget for the next fiscal year.
One of the more drastic and controversial proposals is the elimination of busing in the city, except that required by law for special education and other students.
“Parents work all day. They expect their children to get on a bus safely and return home safely on a school bus. There’s a lot of traffic out there, with these kids having to cross the streets. I think it’s very dangerous,“ said parent Dawn Lynch.
Others have an opposing view.
“I don’t think it’ll hurt them at all. I think a lot of these kids should be walking home,“ said George Valliere of Woonsocket.
School committee member Eleanor Nadeau is concerned about the idea, saying the committee is looking at alternatives to outright elimination that can still save on transportation.
“Possibly keep elementary busing—kindergarten to fifth grade,“ Nadeau said.
In addition to busing, the mayor has proposed erasing a 2 percent pay hike scheduled for teachers next year; making all school department employees pay a share of their health care, including senior teachers who are currently exempt; and cutting back on spending for textbooks, school supplies and capital improvements.
Nadeau said the committee has preliminarily approved the last proposal, but she said the other two require union concessions.
“We’re down to the wire. We cannot fool around with this anymore. We have to know where they’re coming from, where we’re coming from and move forward,“ Nadeau said.
The head of the Woonsocket teacher’s union said it is open to negotiating, but that it won’t be intimidated into it by the mayor.
Menard’s office told NBC 10 the mayor was not available for comment.
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Woonsocket is so corrupt they are prioritizing money over the safety of the children? WTF!!!!
NBC 10 News
Published: June 8, 2009
BURRILLVILLE, R.I.—A Burrillville man is facing charges in connection with a hit-and-run that involved a 7-year-old boy who had been getting off a school bus.
The boy, who was treated and released for a head injury, was hit Friday afternoon on West Road where the driver fled the scene.
Paul Desjardins, Jr., 20, was arrested about 5 hours after the incident, and charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
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Um no it is NOT a good idea to let little ones walk down the street alone!
You have all the illegal’s to thank in Woonsocket they have the biggest concentrations of people from Laos in the state and I bet more than half of them don’t pay taxes and I agree with Mike its the worst S#^&hole;in RI.
just another burned out factory town
WOONSOCKET is the Si!+ hole of R.I.
Any parent allowing their kids to walk to school in Woonsocket must out of their minds. But then again you need to be out of your mind to be even living there.
As a former student of Woonsocket, I would have to say that for the younger grades it would be absolutely absurd to have students walking to and from school especially at the ages of 5-11. As a middle school students I used to get dropped off at school in the morning and walked home in the afternoon since I lived within the 2mile radius cut-off. Walking home as a 7th and 8th grader was not that bad because I was able to walk home with friends. However, for ALL students to have to walk home, even those who live MORE than 2 miles, that is a little excessive. Cut down on the number of buses, the number of stops, but DO NOT eleminate all together.
What if a student faces issues with being bullied? And the parents have no way of picking up the student or bringing them to school? Then that student risks their life just getting to and from school. I am sorry but that is reason enough NOT to go to school.
Come on Woonsocket. Lets get our heads out of our behinds and start thinking with some common sense. It’s not that difficult.
I just wanted to clarify that I don’t think jipping the teachers is necessarily the way to go either because I think that they do work very hard in sometimes hazardous conditions. I think that the bussing to the Jr High and Sr High would be a good place to start. I, too, walked to/from school and that was only 17 years ago. Times were different then. Things have gotten increasingly worse in this city in the way of safety and protection since that time. I would never have a moments peace while working wondering if my daughter made it home safely.
whats next paying for books and lockers?
I think that it’s a good idea but to a point. When I went to school, if you lived within a 2 mile radius of the school, you walked. You needed a bus pass to show the driver. They also had fewer stops. There is no need to stop at every house to pick up kids. They can walk a couple of blocks to a stop. Just like RIPTA does.
xmas I have to agree with you. This is a very bad idea. Times have changed and there are to many whack jobs out there. Parents have to work they do not need the added stress of worrying about their child walking to school. Junior high & high school ok. Not grades K - 5. I’m so glad my son is grown. I agree with no pay raise for the teachers.
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