With its school year set to begin Monday, Montgomery County wants parents to get creative about getting kids to class in Maryland.
The county department of transportation is floating the idea of a “walking school bus,” which is a walk-to-school effort organized and led by parents.
“And basically it is that leader, or several leaders, that move through a neighborhood and sort of pick up children as they go,” said Michael Paylor, with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, “and then the children with those leaders walk in a safely distanced gaggle to that particular school.”
Paylor said the initiative’s goal is to reduce road congestion while also promoting student health. It is mainly aimed at elementary school students.
He added that the walking school bus plan is not related to a school bus driver shortage.
The county department of transportation has a list of tips for organizing a walking school bus online.
