Part 1 and Part 2 of this three part series proposed that childhood obesity, rising fuel costs, and a slumping housing market are creating a budgetary crisis for America's schools and compounding the impact of each individual problem. But is there a solution?
The Rise of Hypermiling
Hypermiling is a the name for a style of driving that has found many new converts as gas prices continue to climb. It involves finding different driving techniques that, when combined, can dramatically increase gas mileage. Some of these techniques include less idling, slower top speeds, and slower acceleration. Others extend to the vehicle itself, such as increasing tire pressure and - perhaps the simplest idea of all - removing non-essential items from the vehicle.
The lighter the load, the better the mileage. It seems logical enough. But that's where childhood obesity, rising fuel costs, and a slumping housing market converge to cause massive problems for school transportation budgets.
Heavier students cause school buses to carry greater loads - and school districts to spend more money for fuel. Increases at the pump make those extra pounds seem heavier while wallets grow lighter. Plus, within our sedentary culture, the likelihood that an obese child would choose to walk to school is (pardon the pun) slim. Besides, that student may live too far away to walk anyhow. The result is that more students are riding the bus, and those buses are burning more fuel to go the same distance as before.
How can bus drivers get more mileage out of their buses when the load seems to get heavier with every passing year? Does transporting heavier kids really hurt gas mileage when you're dealing with a vehicle as massive as a school bus? Most importantly, are there solutions at hand?
Park the Buses, Cut Fuel Costs, and Lose Weight
Some schools have already taken drastic measures to cut costs. There are the usual means available to administrators: cut staff and increase class size, cut classes and decrease educational breadth, and/or cut sports and increase obesity and behavioral problems. Spending cuts are supported, in general, until what is being cut is announced. But a cut in busing might not be a terrible idea for many districts.
Currently, most school districts set their own mileage parameters in terms of how far a student must live from school before he or she is eligible for bus transportation. By increasing the busing perimeter distance, more students would have to walk to school, getting at least some physical activity twice per day. Additionally, schools could also have "central bus stops" so more students would walk to their pick-up location. Then buses could have shorter routes or fewer stops, both of which would conserve fuel.
The Walking Bus
The concern that most people have with students walking to and from school is their safety. Some school districts and parent groups have already come up with a solution known as "the walking bus". The concept is that an adult walks students to school on a rotational basis. If four or five families join up, then any one adult only needs to walk with the students once per week.
The school district may also be able to provide "walking bus drivers" with some of the fuel savings, along with potentially fewer buses and lower mileage on current buses (which also means fewer repairs, oil changes, etc.). Undoubtedly, this will take commitment, parent involvement, and sacrifice from schools, parents - and most of all - kids.
Is "the walking bus" a realistic response to budgetary woes? What do you think?
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermiling
http://ecomodder.com/forum/EM-hypermiling-driving-tips-ecodriving.php
http://www.walkingschoolbus.org/
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