Alice Pickering
Linwood Area Reporter

A group of parents, students, a couple of school board members took a walk last Thursday night to make a statement about one result of a failed school levy vote this November.

The walk represented the distance some elementary students may have to walk to school, if bus transportation is reduced. One of the places the ISD 831 administration and school board has proposed reducing costs is in bus transportation.

School board member Robert Rapheal said that a reduction in busing would save about $200,000 over all.

This means there would be no bus transportation for students living within two miles of their school.

Kids would be asked to walk or it would be left to parents to get their children to school and home each day.

This may not be as big a concern in Forest Lake but for elementary schools like Columbus, Lino Lakes, Linwood and Scandia, this means students may walk on road shoulders of county roads, where the speed limits are 55 mph.

Thatís a stretch for a small child, walkers said.

Add winter weather and the dangers increase, participans said last week.

30 take part

About 30 people participated, half of whom were students, walking from near the Linwood Four Seasons Park on 229th Street, south along Typo Creek Drive to Linwood Elementary.

The distance was about 1.4 miles and took about 35 minutes.

Anoka County sheriffís deputies provided an escort for the group this particular day. There was a picnic at the school at the end of the walk.

Alan Hurtley, whose younger children attend Linwood Elementary, organized the walk.

There were no waving banners, but it was a chance to make a statement about the nature of the election, he said.

Hurtley said he did it to raise awareness of the busy roads some young students will have to walk along or cross, if the operating levy is not renewed on Nov. 9.

School board members were invited to participate. Joe Grafft joined Rapheal and walked along with students and their parents.

Prinicpal Roche Martin, of Linwood Linwood Elementary School, and Gae Jarvis, a school counselor, walked with students too.

Bob and Lisa Johanson, and their three children were some of the ìmarchers.î

From the Johanson house it is about 1.4 miles to Linwood Elementary. Lisa Johanson said ì55 mph scares me; two lanes, no sidewalks, 55 mphî

A big loss

According to a news release about the event, if shareholders do not reinvest in schools, the district will lose $6.5 million and be forced to make significant cuts.

One would be eliminating bussing within two miles, which would save approximately $200,000.

To keep the $200,000 for transportation Rapheal said it costs each household 2.5 cents a day.

He and Grafft estimated that district-wide passing the $6.5 million operating levy would cost each home on average of $3 a month. Rapheal said everyone is working harder than ever in our schools.

ìIím fighting for these schools. Theyíre doing a good job,î Rapheal said.

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