Wonderful news!

[conuly]

Free lunch now will be provided for all NYC public school students

It is about time. Now, if they would only start distributing full-fare student metrocards on the basis of income rather than distance-from-school. The bus isn't cheaper just because you live closer!

Comments

[alatefeline]

Good.

[monanotlisa]

Really good news!!

[kengr]

If it's anything like it was where I grew up, the way it works is that if you are closer than a certain distance, you don't get free bus rides because you are close enough to *walk* to school.

Elementary schools were close enough together that it was rare for anybody to need a bus ride.

Junior high, there you had people who got free rides (I was several blocks inside the 2 mile limit for the junior high I went to)

For high school you had more kids outside the limit. I wound up a block outside the limit for the high school I attended when I still lived at home.

[redbird]

Typically that assumes that the walk is safe (in terms of traffic as well as possible street harassment or other crimes) and that there's no non-disabled student who would have problems walking a mile and a half each way, regardless of weather. They don't close city schools for heavy rain, or for a week of below-freezing weather, but most of us wouldn't want to have to do over a mile each way in those conditions, even if we sometimes choose to.

If the student lives close to school and doesn't use the bus most days, the effective cost to the school and the MTA on those days is zero. It's not like adding school bus drivers or stops: the bus will just be slightly more or less crowded. (If there are enough students that they need to add extra buses to the schedule during the school year, that's the difference between 20 passengers at 2:00 and 60 at 2:30, not between 55 and 60.)

[conuly]

They typically do have extra buses outside of high schools at dismissal, outside the regular route. Or at least they do on Staten Island.

[kengr]

I recall the time the bus for the route i was on (remember these were "specials" for the school, not regular buses) didn't show up when my high school let out. all the others did.

Worse, the street the school was on was one of the ones they routed buses back to the garage on.

So those of us waiting for that bus were more than a bit annoyed. We finally marched in to the school office as a group and complained. Calls were made and we (finally) got a bus.

[kengr]

Typically that assumes that the walk is safe (in terms of traffic as well as possible street harassment or other crimes)

Where I grew up except for a tiny downtown area, the entire city (third largest in the state of Washington) was effectively one big suburb.

Traffic wasn't a problem (there were lights at reasonable spots on the busy streets) and crime? What's that.

Harassment from other kids happened, but since they were generally your schoolmates...

and that there's no non-disabled student who would have problems walking a mile and a half each way, regardless of weather.

This was in the 60s and early 70s so that wasn't a big consideration.

They don't close city schools for heavy rain, or for a week of below-freezing weather, but most of us wouldn't want to have to do over a mile each way in those conditions, even if we sometimes choose to.

Again, wasn't considered a problem. I had to walk a mile and a half (with a 300 foot slope up to the school the last few blocks) from 3rd grade thru 6th grade.

The junior high was on the other side of that school (about another quarter mile) and the high school was on the far side of that...

If it wasn't worth closing the school it was expected that you could walk it.

If the student lives close to school and doesn't use the bus most days, the effective cost to the school and the MTA on those days is zero. It's not like adding school bus drivers or stops: the bus will just be slightly more or less crowded. (If there are enough students that they need to add extra buses to the schedule during the school year, that's the difference between 20 passengers at 2:00 and 60 at 2:30, not between 55 and 60.)

Well, I don't know how the payments were made then, but where I live now, they issue the kids passes for the regular buses in the later grades. And I expect those get charged to the district at full rate. IE they pay for the monthly pass and whether the kid uses it or not doesn't matter.

[elf]

The fascinating thing about the walking distance is that in many areas, it's now considered borderline child abuse to allow a child walk to school alone.

However, the district is supposed to provide free transit for any child who lives outside of the "reasonable" walking distance, however they're defining that. That should include transit for any child with a disability that makes walking unreasonable.

[conuly]

Right, I understand the limit for kids who are close enough to walk to school. But if they're outside the limit, it should be based on income.

[kengr]

When I was a kid, if you were outside the limit it was free. Of course, the buses in question were city buses running special routes just for the school kids.

Fun bit. My stop (when I could ride free) was across the street from my house. Then the bus went down the street almost to the end and cut across to another major street a few blocks over and headed up that to the school. (there was a sort of "peninsula" of a neighborhood that way. About half a mile long and those few blocks wide)

Which meant that if I missed it, I could just walk over to the other street and catch it there. :-)

[lilysea]

If it's anything like it was where I grew up, the way it works is that if you are closer than a certain distance, you don't get free bus rides because you are close enough to *walk* to school.

This might not be suitable if the walk exposes the kids to

a) violent areas
b) sexual harassment
c) racial harassment
d) religious harassment (eg Muslim/Jewish/ Sikh kids)

Also, there are kids who are not Disabled enough to get Disabled transport, who nonetheless can't walk to school.

(This includes, but is by no means limited to, the kids whose parents haven't managed to organise Disabled transport due to one or more of the following:

i) kid is Disabled, but district has knocked them back for Disabled transport, and an appeal needs to happen;

ii) parents working during office hours, not able to make phone calls while at work;

iii) poor literacy;

iv) poor English skills;

v) limited executive function / ADHD etc

vi) fear/mistrust of authority

vii) undocumented migrants

viii) kids Disability is temporary or not considered severe enough to qualify for Disabled transport, but kid nevertheless can't walk to school.