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fklltool busing "The routes were cut or revised for primarily one reason," said Pablo Mach- otgki. secretary of the board. "The board faces budget problems. .. Spending restraints were school measured. by the put into effect by the pro- nearest highway, street or vincial government and road." transportation may provincial school bus aid beprovided. was cut to 75 'ir, cent from "The board may pro- 95 per cent t is year. If vide transportation for the board reinstated the these students." said Mr. cut routes school taxer Machetzki. "They do not could increase double the have to. I believe the edu- 1976 increase. The 1976 cation dollar should be go- taxes were raised an aver- ing towards education. age of $45. _ _ not transportation." al! secondary school stu- dents- in Waterloo County In walking to school this 8qttember because the Waterloo County Board of Education has cut or re- In the city of Waterloo no school bus routes were completely deleted but a few revisions were made. Route 129 SE basically transports secondary stu- dents living in the rural northeast corner of Water- loo to Bluevale. Laurel and Waterloo Collegiate; The bus then proceeds to Colonial Acres. Lexington Public School and to Lin- coin Heights Public School. vised their bus roam. These changes have re- suited in the board saving atotalofM5,934. Pupils living in Colonial Acres and around Lexing- ton Public School are from 1.6 to 2.7 miles from Lin- coin Heights Public School. If the board did not pro- vide transportation the stu- dents would be required to walk .3 to.1.2 miles to the nearest Kitchener Transit route. A safety problem was brought to the boards attention. Students in Colo onial Acres could walk safely to University Ave. but after this point there are no sidewalks on either side of the expressway. on the second run basis. The second run transports pupils in rural Waterloo to Lincoln Heights Public School. Senior elementry pupils from Colonial Acres could continue to be given a "courtesy ride" to Lin- coln Heights until side- walks are installed along University Ave. This re- vised route leaves the sec- ondary students in Colon- ial Acres to find their own transportation. The board decided this route should be continued Route 123 E to Mac- Gregor Senior Public School, transports 166 pu- pils on three trips from Lakeshore Village. All pupils live in excess of 15 miles from the school with a maximum distance of 2.8 miles, This route will be continued until side- walks are installed on Bearinger Rd. and/or We- ber Street North. Although Kitchener Tran- sit has a route whirl, vir- tqally duplicates this route it IS operating close to capacity, When the school doors opened on September 7, many board trustees start- ed answering phone calls from irate parents Board chairman Doreen Thomas. was quoted as saying there were two kinds of calls, Some parents requested that the discontinued bus By Terry James A number of elementary _ Board cuts affect 22 students, in Maple Hills area routu be reinstated. while others wanted the board to extend bus service into their area. _ Pablo Machetai said the public seems to be- lieve that the board has a duty to provide transporta- The transportation policy guideline states that "for Junior elementary stu- dents whose residence is more than two miles from school measured. by the nearest highway, street or road." transportation may heprovided. "The board may pro- vide transportation for these students." said Mr. said. t"rhe board is actual- ly providing an extra ser- vice." -=. Parents living in the Maple Hills Acres 2 Breeze- wood Estates section of Waterloo are very unhappy with a bus route revision made in their community They were so opposed to the decision that they form- ed a delegation and attend- ed the Board of Education" meeting on September 16. Elementary students in these two areas attend Empire School. In July the board revised a school bus route which originally passed through the area and picked up all Empire School students in Maple Hills. The revised route nor only picks up all kin- dergarten to grade three pupils. Approximately 22 grade four. five and six students living in the Em- pire School area are not being transported to school this year because of the route revision. School board transporta- tion officer. Bob Schlosser. said students in Breeze- wood Estates have never received transportation from the board. Parents from this area attended the Sept. 16 meeting with Maple Hill residents with hopes that the board would change its policy and pro- vide busing in this area. Mr. Schlosser said that at the extreme. a student in Breezewood Estates would have to walk 1.2 miles to Empire School. ‘.'We are here for one reason and one reason only." Richard Hall, one of the residents of Maple Hills told the board mem- bers. "We are concerned about the safety of our children." Mr. Hall of 14 Roosevelt Ave. in Waterloo acted as spokesman for the dele- gation. He said the par- ents are concerned about how their children will make it to school during the winter months if the board insists on cutting their school bus routes. He pointed out that for the past few years the streets have not been sanded un- til long after the children have walked to school "The drivers have enough to do watching their drive mg." said Mr. “all "They will not be looking out for children who are walking to school Sometimes chil- dren are carefree and this combination could result in a terrible accident I just have it is not my child or name's in this room to- Mr. Hall also said some children have health prob- lem; and the parents did not think it was fair that they were. jeopardized by this walking and the winter weather. "We are not asking the board for transportation all year gound. just dur- ing an? winter months." he David Barrie. chairman of the board's ad hoc trans- portation committee. told the parents that his com- mittee always looked at routes in terms of safety. He informed the delegates that up until 1976. the transportation policy did not apply fairly. He said a mistake was made a few years ago when transport- ation was put in this area. "I'm sorry but I can't sympathize with you," said Mr. Barrie. "We must apply the policy fair- ly across the county. There are many areas where safety is much more ser- ious." - One youth stood before the board and said that he felt Maple Hills Acres was always getting the "raw end of the deal." The grade 13 student his lived in .the area for a number of years and in a period of five years he attended three different schools. "This is riot just a con- niet between dollars but it involves the human ele- ment." said the youth. _ He cited a case Where one of his neighbours has three sons aged four. six and 11. Two of the sons attend Empire School and are picked up by the school bus. One brother is not al- lowed to ride the bus to the same school. The street conditions are not Just a seasonal problem as far as the par- ents are concerned. They feel that a number of streets in the area are dan- gerous all year round. Some of the streets they complained about included Roosevelt Ave. where there are no sidewalks and numerous hills which reduce the visibility to 100 feet. On Mulberry Lane and Westmount Rd. par- ents complained of an un- developed area where trees and weeds were grow- ing over the sidewalk. This THE TREASURE TROVE " Union St. E. W-tolloo 745-6773 was never cleared in the winter. quit during the winter be- The parents said that if the streets, were safe and in good éondition. they wouldn't mind their chil- dren walking. Some par- ents went as far as to say that if something isn't done they will not let their children attend school. Doreen Thomas. board chairman. has walked down some of the streets in question and she agreed withtheparents. One resident said that although he has no chit- dren walking to school." his wife tries to walk to work but she is forced to ditions. “If the city of Waterloo maintained the sidewalks irwouldn‘t be a problem." said one angry _ resident. "But they don't so it is! .. The board agreed to send a letter to the city council requesting that something be done about the condition of the streets. The parents also asked the board how it draws its school boundaries. They said they couldn’t under- stand why their children are walking to Empire School when Centennial is so much closer. They also wanted to know why their children will not be eligi- ble for Keats Way Public "The ’ streets" in Water- loo are a disgrace." she said. - School when it is finished. One parent mated that the next time the school boundaries are divided up. the community should have me' ttit-toct-tet-dr-tttmth-tttoe-Pats" SHOES LTD. " King Street N. Waterloo 886-4440 - 7 OPEULMM. to Fri. 9:30 - 6 Sat. 9:30 - 5 that a pupil living in a certain area will attend a partieuiarschoolqtiithe -endottheirtsehoolingor ti1itheendofgradesee- atsayin-tsatisdoae, "We cart't an: Fred Stiefelmeyer. It has been estimated that approximately two new elementary schools Show & Set $4.50 Style. Cut I: Blow Buy $7.00 Rtttt. s] Shampoo. Style Cut a. Set $6.00 "on. $3 "than: $4.00 " (Body. I CALL PAT OR GEORGINA 1 743-7784 - Coifore Cottage -,, BEAUTY SALON ' STEFANIPS "MINNIE 61 Eli: Cm. s. It Ell: St.. "who 57 King St. N. Watédoo 886-3960 Welcome Back PERM SPECIAL Reg. $20.00. How $1 F'"' a... $25.00. New sai.so Reg. $30.00. Now S20.'" (Body, Medium ,or Curly) {GINA Opus Deity duo - Mon. Toot. Thor. & Fri. _ Evenings WateriooRegiott. Pm Although the board was firm in its decision to re- Maple Hills Acres and its intention of not {ringing bus service into the Breeze- parents for attending the meeting. Cut a blow dry Sat SPECIALS" $450