Providing Transportation & Organized Pick Up/Drop Off for Students Relocated to Far away Schools
Near the old Parker elementary, on Wednesday, June 3, 2015, a 15 year old Henry Ford High School student
was sexually assaulted while walking alone to school. The girl’s regular 14 year old walking partner was killed
the day before when a van struck her and another teen on 8 Mile Road at Evergreen.
Below we see the area of Cody High School (DPS) which comprises 16% of the City! This is an unusually
large distance in the State for students to travel. However, perhaps some rural districts have long travel times as
well. Yet, Detroit students must traverse long distances, in darkness because there are few street lights in
Detroit neighborhoods. Students must walk in early morning hours past abandoned buildings in the dark. This
circumstance caused gang membership to explode because gangs offered prospects safe travel.
There is, and has been for the last four years a hardship to Detroit area students and parents traveling to school:
Parents claim:
1) students are spending $1.25-$3.00 daily to school round way by City bus;
2) chaos at school pick up and drop off locations;
3) chaos at bus transfer areas
4) hardship for families without cars;
5) unsafe routes
6) necessity for elementary school children to leave as early as 6:30am to arrive at school by 8:00am.
7) Special Education Transportation is often late to school
The Governor’s school closing plan did not involve parents or neighborhoods and was decided by people who
don’t live in the community, resulting in mistakes, assuming that the errors were not intentional. By retaliating
and not giving families a voice, Roberts ruined neighborhoods and put many students in harms way.
The Governor’s Emergency Manager over City operations was Kevyn Orr, who is distinct from the Emergency
Managers Governor Snyder placed over the School District. In an interview, Orr described having a human
moment that made him want to make sure the City buses ran on time:
111