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Parents protest ‘walk zone,’ expanded area with no school bus service

Posted at 1:29 pm July 17, 2014
By Sara Wise 2 Comments

Kathie Creasey at Walk Zone Protest

Kathie Creasey, right, holds a sign during Thursday’s protest against Oak Ridge Schools’ expanded parent responsibility zone. The zone change eliminates transportation services for students who live within 1.5 miles of their school. (Photo by Sara Wise)

 

Critics of Oak Ridge Schools’ expanded parent responsibility zone protested Thursday morning at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue.

Laurie Paine, who lost her daughter, Ashley, at the intersection in 2007, joined almost 15 other parents and community members to rally for change.

“I don’t want anyone to go through what my family went through,” Paine said. She started a Facebook page to unite community members who were against the walk zone and used that website to spread the word of the protest.

Robertsville Middle School parent Kathie Creasey became emotional at the protest, saying that her own son was close to Ashley. She was protesting because she doesn’t want anything bad to happen to her kids. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Education, K-12, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Ashley Paine, budget, bus service, Daniel Morgan, Facebook, Illinois Avenue, Kathie Creasey, Laurie Paine, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Schools, Oak Ridge Turnpike, parent responsibility zone, petition, protest, Robertsville Middle Schools, transportation, Trina Baughn, walk zone

Number of students affected by bus route changes down to 1,300

Posted at 11:39 am July 17, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Keys Fillauer and Chris Marczak at Girls Inc.

Oak Ridge Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer, left, and Oak Ridge Schools Assistant Superintendent Chris Marczak say a Wednesday change in how mileage is calculated could reduce the number of students affected by a new “parent responsibility zone” for transportation from 1,800 to 1,300. Marczak says his family is also affected by the expanded zone, where bus service is not provided.

 

The Wednesday change in how bus service is mapped could help about 500 students, reducing the number of children affected by expanded zones where parents will have to provide transportation to schools from 1,800 to 1,300, officials said.

Those students would have been in the expanded 1.5-mile “parent responsibility zone,” where bus service is not provided and parents have to arrange transportation. The expanded parent responsibility zone, which is also sometimes called a PRZ or walk zone, was approved by school officials in June.

Oak Ridge school officials announced Wednesday that they were changing how the 1.5 miles is calculated, switching from a 1.5-mile radius measured by air (also known as “as the crow flies”) to actual walking distance. That means the expanded no-bus service zone will now affect fewer families. Parents called the change a small but positive step.

Even with the modification, though, parents continue to have concerns. The protests kicked into high gear last week, and some parents expressed concerns during a Wednesday evening meeting at Girls Inc. Among the concerns were children who have to cross busy roadways or pass by the homes of registered sex offenders.

“We are paying property taxes, and our children’s safety should come first,” parent Beverly Heun said. “Our transportation should not have been cut.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, K-12, Oak Ridge, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: 1.5-mile, Adam Wilson, Amanda Jenkins, Ashley Paine, Beverly Heun, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley, budget, budget deficit, bus service, carpools, children, Chris Marczak, Girls Inc., Illinois Avenue, Keys Fillauer, Knox County Schools, Maryville, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Schools, Oak Ridge Turnpike, parent responsibility zone, property tax rate, property taxes, PRZ, Rhoni Basden, Robertsville Middle School, students, transportation, walk area, walk zone, Willow Brook Elementary School

Parents protest expanded 1.5-mile walk zone for students

Posted at 1:34 pm July 11, 2014
By John Huotari 12 Comments

Oak Ridge School Buses at the Central Services Complex

Parents are protesting a June 23 decision to expand the walk zone for students to 1.5 miles to help reduce a $1.25 million budget deficit. The expanded walk zones mean that bus service won’t be offered to students who live within 1.5 miles of Oak Ridge schools.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:20 a.m. July 12.

Parents concerned about student safety are protesting a recent decision by Oak Ridge Schools to expand the student walk zone to 1.5 miles.

In the past two days, they’ve started a petition and Facebook group to oppose the June 23 decision, and they’ve organized a protest, rally, and walks through the expanded walk zones at several schools.

“We’re serious about this,” said Daniel Morgan, who has two sons at Linden Elementary School and a daughter who starts at Robertsville Middle School this fall. “The citizens are concerned about the safety of the children.”

The expanded walk zones mean that bus service will no longer be available to students who live within 1.5 miles of Oak Ridge schools. The change could affect 1,800 students. The new bus stops have been posted on the Oak Ridge Schools website. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Education, K-12, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Ashley Paine, bus service, Change.org, Daniel Morgan, Facebook, Illinois Avenue, Laurie Paine-Feeny, Linden Elementary School, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Preschool, Oak Ridge Schools, Oak Ridge Turnpike, parents, petition, protest, rally, Robertsville Middle School, STOP Oak Ridge Walk Zone, student walk zone, walk zones, Willow Brook Elementary School

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Classifieds

Public Notice: Comment period extended for Draft EA for Lithium Processing Facility at Y-12

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Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment for the Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC) (DOE/EA-2144), Finding of No Significant Impact, and Wetland Statement of Findings

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