PONTIAC, Mich. (WXYZ) — Mary Jiles has three children in the Pontiac School District. So, when the district posted its winter weather policy online, the impact on her family was threefold.
“It’s too cold. I can’t. I can’t. So, I kept mine home today," Jiles said.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below:
In the post, the district acknowledged that extreme cold is a concern, but noted that schools typically only close when wind chills approach -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Because Tuesday's wind chill didn't hit that benchmark, the doors stayed open and that left many parents frustrated.
“I kept her home. I didn’t have the resources to take her. And she never has walked alone. I would never roll the dice or take those kind of chances with her,” Kayla Lauinger told 7 News Detroit.
She lives within a mile and a half of school. That puts her daughter in the “walk zone,” meaning she doesn't qualify for a bus.
It’s not just parents speaking out. Candice Ridley, president of the Pontiac Education Association, the teachers union, said it would have been nice to see the district pivot.
“We want our students to be safe. We want our students to be taken care of. And today, the district failed them,” Ridley said.
But even for those who do have a bus route, parents say the service is unreliable.
“Fortunately, I do have a good village that supports us and I do have a way to get my daughter to and from school, but we pass a lot of kids that are walking and every single morning I wake up, there’s text messages of at least one or two bus routes that are delayed,” Lauinger said.
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Jiles said, "I get that they were understaffed but still 'til this day, I have friends calling me all the time (saying), ‘Can you come take them? The bus never showed up. They’ve been out there for an hour,' which happens quite a bit.”
“So, the kids are also standing out in the cold, which that’s horrible," she explained.
As for the kids without bus services, the president of the teachers union argues if the district isn't going to close schools, then it needs to have a backup plan for those in the "walk zone."
“So, if you’re gonna institute a mile-and-a-half radius, then find a way to get them here when it’s terrible weather, when it’s too cold. It’s not fair to put that burden on parents because that’s part of our public school system is that we provide transpiration for our kids to get here," Ridley said.
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7 News Detroit reached out to the district for comment. While they confirmed they received the request, we have yet to hear back.
