School Transit Plan for 1989-90

I am writing this letter to convey my concern over the Saddleback Valley Unified School District’s proposal: Free “Home-to-School Transportation Plan for School Year 1989-90 in Response to State Department of Education’s Directive to Discontinue the Charging of Fees for Home-to-School Transportation Services.”

More investigation and thought needs to go into the busing plan for next year inasmuch as the proposal before the board necessitates our children walking too far to “local” schools in areas that are unsafe and under road conditions that are pitiful at best.

This proposal puts undue hardship on many parents in the area, especially single parents like myself, who must be at work prior to or at the time the children are to start school.

I feel it is unrealistic to expect a 7-year-old child to walk 1 1/2 to 2 miles to school to be there for a 7:45 a.m. starting time as is currently proposed. Many of the children will have to walk down El Toro Road during early-morning rush hour, often when it will be dark, and there are no sidewalks in much of the area where they will have to walk. El Toro Road is far too busy and the speed limit much too high to put children of any age upon it at any time of the day.

I urge the board to allow a committee of concerned parents to be set up to investigate this matter and give the board options that they might use to alleviate the busing problem that the board feels will exist next year. Other school districts in our area seem to have been able to solve the busing situation without requiring their children to walk long distances under unsafe conditions.

I cannot see where there is any reason to act with undue haste on the decision for next year’s busing without first giving appropriate consideration to the concerns of the parents and the community.

SANDRA J. BRAYMER

Mission Viejo