McKinley's Walking School Bus wins grant dollars

McKinley Elementary School received a $1,000 grant to expand its Walking School Bus program by reaching out to local community members, businesses and three nearby universities.

The National Center for Safe Routes to School awards money to projects that encourage students and their families to walk and/or bicycle safely to school. A walking school bus is made up of students who gather at a specific stop each morning to walk together to school, chaperoned by adults, with the philosophy that there is more safety and better visibility in numbers.

McKinley will use posters, newspaper advertisements and digital marketing strategies to connect with college students who are interested in leading the walking school bus. Training sessions and background checks will be required of all volunteers. As more volunteer chaperons become trained, additional walking routes will be added.

In addition, McKinley staff will develop a "Wauwatosa Walking School Bus Handbook," which will be available to other elementary schools in the district.

A group of parents, school staff members and Alderman Jeff Roznowski formed a safe routes group at McKinley who have been coming up with low-cost ways to improve the safety of children on the way to and from school and on the streets around the property.