Local News

Parent Starts Petition For Busing For All Kids

Jeff Hess

@ October 26, 2009 3:31 PM Permalink | Comments (10)

One local mother is taking action to get busing for all kids in Jacksonville.

Jennifer Lantry started an on-line petition to called Save Our Kids to demanding busing for all students.
"Change the two mile rule for children to be bused to school," Lantry said she started the petition because of what happened to Somer Thompson.
The school board recently reduced busing because of the falling budget. Their rule now matches the rule throughout most of the state including Clay County. Lantry said they should bus all kids no matter what the cost.
"Our children should be protected no matter what it costs. I don't care if it was 2-million or 5-million, what they saved because not one penny is worth a child's life," Lantry said.
She said she would support higher taxes if it meant that all kids could get safely bused to school.
More than 4-thousand people have signed her petition which she plans to take to the next school board meeting to lobby them to change the rule.
You can find out more about the petition here.

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What others are saying

Question
Was the Mother at home or work when this happened? One of the post belows make it appear she was at home, if so she bears some resposibility. If she was working to provide for her family cut her some slack...
By anyone @ 10/27/09 02:15:43 PMreport abuse
Knee JERK reactions
Jennifer Lantry is just another example of a liberal big govt busybody. Children should have a RIGHT to walk to school and parents are ultimately responsible for getting them there safely. What about the complaints that children are out of shape? What about the dangers of bullying etc.. that occur in a bus ride? Shut up and mind your own children Jennifer.
By ricardo maxwell @ 10/27/09 12:37:12 PMreport abuse
Petition
Lots of parents were outraged and did voice their opinion when this 2 mile rule was passed last year. What is so absurd is the 2 mile rule. If you live within 2 miles of your school, you have to walk to school or if you do take the bus, children may have to walk up to two miles to get to their bus stop. I believe in exercise, I walk myself daily, but two miles is a long way to walk for a child. That is a good 35 - 40 minute walk. Especially when a lot of busses have a pick up time of around 7:15, that means a child would have to leave around 6:30, when it is still dark outside. I understand that the School Board will more than likely not be able to make sure that every child is able to take the bus, but having to walk 2 miles is insane. Fortunately, my child is still is in an elementary school where they have an extended day program, and i can drop her off and pick her up. But she will be starting Middle School next year and the start time is 9:45 (which is also ridiculous). I leave to go to work at 7 and I am worried sick about what we are going to do next year.
By wjbow1 @ 10/27/09 10:08:28 AMreport abuse
busing petition
The Somer Thompson incident is a sad testament to the depths of depravity that fortunately only a very few in our society think they can get away with! The perpetrator, if caught, should be tried for this heinous crime, and if PROVEN by the evidence to be the one responsible, put INSTANTLY to DEATH! The parents of individual children should be held to reasonable oversight of their own children, and not the taxpayer's requirement to pay for more "blanket security programs" such as the notion of bussing each and every one of the children from their door to the government school door. The programs just simply do not work, especially when outfits like "First Student" are running the show around here. I personally have had issues with the care and transportation of my GRANDCHILDREN to their schools, and those issues have never been nor will likely ever be resolved, so my daughter and son-in-law have had to take the safety and security of their children into their own hands! Should they, like me be forced to pay even higher taxes to support programs that continue to exibit poor performance? This is one of many PRIME examples of the the primary problems in our country that will cause the total failure of our once great land, and I wonder when those like Jennifer Landry will wake up and take PERSONAL responsibility for their OWN children instead of waiting for the GOVERNMENT to do it for them!
By Jim K @ 10/27/09 09:39:59 AMreport abuse
Why do I have to pay your children's well being in school
It is sad that this little girl is murdered but I don't understand is how can this mother said that she loved this little girl and her other children when she let all of them walked home from school? WAKE up people, in this day of age, you need to keep your two eyes on your children 24/7. Too bad for those who have more children than your eyes can follow but that is your DECISION to have more than you can handle. Crime is every where and it is a RISK that everyone has to deal with it. You can avoid or minimize the RISK by using your COMMON SENSE and your BRAIN. This mother can avoid the risk but she chose NOT to. The question is why do I have to pay for those government school children for their education and transportation for them too. If you want buses, then the Duval School Board needs to start COLLECT bus FEES for these children who uses these type of transportation. It is time for ALL FREEBIE END. It is time for those irresponsible parents to take ACTION on your children's well being instead of passing it to us tax payers to baby sit your children.
By Annie @ 10/27/09 08:48:16 AMreport abuse
I think what she (Ms Lantry) meant to say was, Our children should be protected no matter what it costs, ...somone else. What happened to personal responsibility?
By anonymous @ 10/27/09 05:46:39 AMreport abuse
Mandatory Bussing
What she (Ms Lantry) means is, our children should be protected no matter what it costs, ...someone else. What happend to personal responsability?
By Jason W @ 10/27/09 05:42:27 AMreport abuse
It really does matter
I remember when they passed this and I thought it was strange that no one followed it or cared about all the cuts that were happening. The time to get involved in this was before it passed. I am so tired of people not caring about legislation until it affects their lives directly. Get involved in your governing bodies before these things happen or you don't have a right to complain about the results. Just like what happened with the recent budget. The mayor tried to tell people that it is hard to make cuts but everyone just sat on their no tax increase platform (I am certainly not in favor of raising taxes). Then when the board was forced to reveal what cuts they would be making no body could agree so ultimately property taxes went up. I know you cannot make everyone happy all the time but if more people were involved in building the initial legislation then we might get better results and less complaining afterwards.
By Kris @ 10/26/09 10:58:52 PMreport abuse
Petition
Of course she thinks that "children should be protected no matter" the cost - she probably has kids who use the bus.

What about Jacksonville residents who have no children or have children who attend private schools? Why should they have to pay any extra fees?

I just don't understand why the parents who are not working can't get together and start a van pool of some sort. It would save gas money, the environment, and "protect" the children.
By thamanjimmy @ 10/26/09 04:47:10 PMreport abuse
Knee-jerk reaction
Please don't disgrace the death of Somer Thompson like this. Take responsiblity for your own children. It's not the place of the school or the school board to get your kids to and from school safely.
By Northside Mom @ 10/26/09 04:24:36 PMreport abuse