• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Subscribe
  • Donate

WyoFile

Indepth News about Wyoming People, Places & Policy. Wyoming news.

  • Latest News
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Legislature
    • Native America
    • Natural Resources
    • People
    • Photo Friday
    • Places
    • Policy
  • Voices
    • Drake’s Take
    • Madden’s Measure
    • Guest Column
    • Studio Wyoming Review
  • Supporters
    • Membership
    • Underwriting
    • Foundations
  • COVID-19
  • Latest News
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Legislature
    • Native America
    • Natural Resources
    • People
    • Photo Friday
    • Places
    • Policy
  • Voices
    • Drake’s Take
    • Madden’s Measure
    • Guest Column
    • Studio Wyoming Review
  • Supporters
    • Membership
    • Underwriting
    • Foundations
  • COVID-19

Walking School Bus

Walking School Bus

Retired school bus driver Russ Wood escorts two of his several “passengers” the last half block to their class at Jackson Elementary School on Thursday, part of the school district’s Walking School Bus. State administrative rules say districts should not provide bus service to students who live within a mile of their elementary schools, so Wood is part of a program to ensure their safety. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile)

December 8, 2017 by Angus M. Thuermer Jr. Leave a Comment

Tweet
Share
Pin
Email
0 Shares
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Russ Wood retired after driving a school bus in Teton County for “well over 20 years,” but he’s still transporting children to their classes.

Today, Wood finds himself not behind the wheel, but behind a pair of fluorescent orange flags as he escorts students who walk to and from Jackson Elementary School. Wyoming Department of Education administrative rules set a 1 mile radius from an elementary school as the walking distance. “No transportation shall be provided to children within the walking distance,” with certain exceptions, the rule states.

The district hires Wood for four hours a day to walk a route from East Jackson to the school, and back home in the afternoon. He entrains anywhere from 10 to 18 students most mornings, fewer than that going home, he said.

“This is fun and the kids enjoy it,” he said Thursday. There’s more of an opportunity to interact with the children than when he was driving a bus, he said.

Please include WyoFile in your year-end giving with a tax deductible donation today.

As a driver, for example, the only option he had to deal with an unruly student was to ask him or her to sit up front next to him. On the Walking School Bus, he can interact.

“I kind of like that part a lot,” Wood said. “Instead of punishing a kid, you can talk to him.”


Popular Articles:


A security first?


Munching moose


Powder stash


Filed Under: Education, Photo Friday, This Week

Angus M. Thuermer Jr.

About Angus M. Thuermer Jr.

Angus M. Thuermer Jr. is the natural resources reporter for WyoFile. He is a veteran Wyoming reporter and editor with more than 35 years experience in Wyoming. Contact him at [email protected] or (307) 690-5586. Follow Angus on Twitter at @AngusThuermer

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Want to join the discussion? Fantastic, here are the ground rules:
- Identify yourself with full name and city. WyoFile stands behind everything we publish and expects commenters to do the same.
- No personal attacks, profanity, discriminatory language or threats. Keep it clean, civil and on topic.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Tweets by @WyoFile

Search WyoFile

Become an Underwriter
Sign Up for Free Weekly Newsletters

Recent Comments

  • Robert Nickens on Dire outlook for bees raises possibility of listing
  • Beau Hill on Cheney’s ‘vote of conscience’ deserves respect
  • Harvey Reading on Lawmakers defied mask orders at session kick-off in Capitol
  • Travis Samulski on Lawmakers defied mask orders at session kick-off in Capitol
  • Terry Solon on Oil and gas industry doesn’t need another handout

Footer

Recent Posts By Date

January 2021
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Dec    

From The Archives

  • About Us
  • People
  • Careers
  • Freelancing
  • Underwriting
  • How to Republish
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 by WyoFile