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RIVERTON -- When school budgets run into rocky roads, busing often takes a hit. In the Jordan School District, parents and at least one mayor are struggling to save school bus routes slated for elimination.
With planned cuts to bus routes, kids will have to walk busy streets like 11400 South, 1300 West and Redwood Road -- often through construction -- on the way to school.
I would not allow one of my grandchildren to walk down some of those routes. They are not safe.
–Riverton Mayor Bill Applegarth
Parents are upset, but the district says bus cuts save teachers' jobs.
In September, the Jordan School District will cut two-thirds of its hazardous bus routes to save $1.2 million. Those are routes within walking distance of school, but children can take the bus because of traffic or construction hazards.
Riverton Mayor Bill Applegarth and some parents argue the risk to students is not worth the budget savings.
"I would not allow one of my grandchildren to walk down some of those routes," says Applegarth. "They are not safe."
Kati Medel has elementary school children in the district who will have to walk a route with high traffic and construction.
"That just completely blows my mind," she says. "I'll drive them before I let them walk."
The mayor spent several days monitoring safe walking routes for children in the area.
"We're trying to do everything we can to make it safe," says Applegarth.
He even offered Riverton money to the district to continue hazardous busing for another year until road construction is complete. The board said no, because other cities in the district would not be included.
The district will keep all routes required by distance criteria. To meet budget demands, the board scrutinized all programs not required by law.
"These cuts are helping protect the classroom environment for our teachers and our children," said Jordan School District spokesperson Steven Dunham.
The district says it meets all state requirements for safe routes, and busing was never required in these areas.
"It's a difficult situation," says Dunham. "We would encourage parents to work together, working on carpooling, things of that nature so they can get their children to school safely."
Medel says there must be a better solution, but she's willing to look at alternatives.
"I would love to see parents get together and this work, you know, make it happen," she says. "Maybe if enough of us say something, it will make a difference."
The mayor has no ill feeling for the school board, but he's worried about the potential for an accident."
"I think it's the number one issue that we face in Riverton City and it's more important than anything else," he says.
The school district says cutting these non-required bus routes has helped the board protect the classroom and teachers' jobs. They say that's their top goal in these tough budget times.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
