I am replying to Leslee's question about the school busses, which appeared in the thread about plowing church parking lots. It seemed about time to separate the threads.
The legal age for obtaining a driver's license is 16 1/2, which is when most students are juniors. So for the first 2 years, most students can'd drive. Many students who are of driving age don't drive, or aren't permitted to drive to school, or aren't permitted to carry passengers if they do drive, or aren't permitted to ride with other youngsters if they don't. And many parents work and can't come and pick them up, even if those same students get dropped at the school by parents on the way to work. The real problem with the HS and busses in the afternoons is not just that students won't ride them, but that even if they do ride them, they're likely to be riding home at different hours on different days. Students who leave school at the bell may take the early bus. Students who have activities or want to talk to a teacher or use the library will take a 3:30 bus, and students who have sports will take a later bus, while students who play a sport or do an activity that takes them to an away game will get back to the school well into the evening. I believe that a bus may be needed to take some of them home, and others need to be picked up. And before we beef about it, whenever I see kids' pictures in the newspaper, I'm always glad when it's for succeeding in school and not because they're under arrest. We should examine more closely the issues of fees for sports, activities, and transportation. But we also need to remember that we get what we pay for, and I would rather pay for education, activities and sports than for more cops, prosecutions, etc. Rene Mandel Pct. 3
