Concerned Barrow Parents Plan to Challenge Busing Changes

A expressing concerns about school calendar and bus route changes has drawn sympathetic responses from many parents.

To save money, Barrow County Schools plans to begin enforcing which means many students who previously had been on bus routes will now need to be driven or walk to school.

While not everyone agreed, most parents who commented on Barrow Patch believe these changes are unsafe. Here is a sample:

"I dont understand how they can make our children walk on a busy road with no sidewalks," said commenter . "How many children will be hurt before they change this? The schools dont seem t[o] care about the younger generation that is coming up. They have less time in school and more dangerous ways go to and from school than we did."

"It is dark out in the morning, there is not only no sidewalks, but no street lights either," wrote . "The school system is setting themselves up for major lawsuits if one thing happens to a child while walking to school! ... Its ... time for all of the parents to stick up for our children and attend in masses to the next school board meeting and demand change."

"I am glad I have decided to home-school my children, sharing the load with other parents like me," wrote . "We each have our own strengths, and something of enormous value to teach our children. Memorized state-run facts are so 1980s education. Well, 1984 anyway... Welcome to 2012, my kids aren't spoon-fed high-fructose state-run walmart prep exams."

wrote: "I would like to see the board members (or anyone else who see nothing wrong with this) walk 1.5 miles to work everyday.... on the 105 temperature days, the rainy stormy days, the 35 temperature days.... in the dark on uneven grass with holes when dry but muddy when raining along a road with many potholes as people speed past them while praying they get to school safely. Call me lazy all you want but I certainly would not want to walk this route or let my two daughters. I am rearranging my morning schedule to be able to drive my daughters. Fortunately I can but others do not have this option. We need to save money and make cuts but not at the risk of the children's safety."

What do you think of the busing and schedule changes? Tell us in the comments.