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Bill looks to require busing within 2 miles Issue brought to Chandler by Streetsboro resident

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Mike Sever

July 1, 2008

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

A bill introduced by State Rep. Kathleen Chandler would require school districts to bus students up through grade eight who live within two miles of school or wherever there are no sidewalks available to walk to school.

"This issue was brought to me by people who saw young children walking along a busy roadway to school" in Streetsboro, Chandler said.

A constituent, Vernon Weingart of Streetsboro, asked Chandler to introduce the bill, which would expand the busing requirements of the public schools.

In 2007, Streetsboro school district eliminated busing for all students who live within two miles of their school.

The board cut busing after a 5.1-mill levy narrowly failed. The district expected to save nearly $300,000 with the cut.

Weingart said he became concerned about the safety of children last winter when he saw two small Streetsboro elementary students, "walking in the dark, in the ditch, along heavily traveled (S.R.) 14 on their way to school."

"This is clearly a safety issue," Weingart said, adding, "it must never happen again."

Currently under Ohio law, schools are required to offer buses to students only if they live beyond two miles from the school they attend.

House Bill 597 has been referred to committee. No hearings have been scheduled and Chandler said she does not expect any until November. Chandler represents the 68th District, which covers most of Portage County.

If the bill dies for lack of action this legislative session, Chandler said she intends to reintroduce it next year.

"I realize this is a really hard time to bring up this proposal because the price of gas is so high and schools are already stretched," Chandler said. "We probably should find some ways to help schools with the price of gas."

Chandler said she expects the cost of fuel will be part of future school funding discussions.

She said a committee formed by Gov. Ted Strickland to look at the school funding issue has been meeting regularly.

"And he has pledged he will address it this next (legislative) session. I'm looking forward to having this on the front burner and come up with a solution," Chandler said.

Weingart praised Chandler's initiative with the proposed amendment and spotlighted her, "perceptive and diligent work in raising this important issue."

Messages were left with Streetsboro schools seeking comment.

Comments

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3.	Posted by wmd July 1, 2008
	AMT: Mrs. Chandler has a 62% chance of getting re-elected. This is a problem as I now travel RT 14 to/from Streetsboro. Parents need to get involved. No child let alone an adult should be walking along RT 14. There needs to be some adjustments to our taxes. Last year, the county auditor re-appraised our homes and the majority of homes in the county saw a major imcreased valuation of their property along with a nice tax increased. 20% is the average decline of homes valuessince the so-called housing downturn started. Maybe the county should give some of our money back and we could help out the schools. Meetings with more meetings do not get results. Our current governor is not going to raise taxes. If any school district puts a levy on the ballot in the next 2 years, its odds of passing our nil. School districts need to look at their budgets. Everywhere you look, people are taking pay cuts or layoffs. Has any teachers took a pay cut lately? I think not. School districts can not afford to bus more children but with improved route utilization they might be able to.

2.	Posted by Susan Tussing July 1, 2008
	I wonder how much more good could be done if the same funding that would go to this, instead went to actually putting in sufficient sidewalks wherever possible, and the busing was then extended only to children who for some reason had to cross areas where that wouldn't work. Kids definitely do not deserve to have to walk through unsafe areas, but replacing a healthy walk with more gasoline-burning buses does not seem to me to be the best solution.

1.	Posted by AMT July 1, 2008
	This article is full of laughers. First, we have another unfunded mandate proposed by a legislator who acknowledges it will cost schools an extra $300,000 a year, who then says "probably" something should be done about that. And what's being done? Why, a committee formed by Strickland has been meeting - and meeting, and meeting, and meeting. Getting no work done, of course, other than thinking up new ways to raise our taxes. But he pledges to propose something - next year! And how about this one: "If the bill dies for lack of action this legislative session, Chandler said she intends to reintroduce it next year." That's assuming she gets re-elected, which does not deserve to happen.