Bus driver shortage forces Allendale Public Schools to establish fall ‘walk zones’
Citing a persistent shortage of licensed bus drivers, Allendale Public Schools will eliminate transportation for students living near campus starting this fall and will institute new “walk zones” across the district.
ALLENDALE — Citing a persistent shortage of licensed bus drivers, Allendale Public Schools will eliminate transportation for students living near campus starting this fall and will institute new “walk zones” across the district.
“Walk zones” are specific areas around the district where students will be expected to walk or bike to school and where busing is not provided. State guidelines allow each district to determine if they have “walk zones."
Walk zones for school districts are typically a half- to one-mile radius from the school for elementary and potentially farther for middle and high school students.
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Allendale Superintendent Garth Cooper defined the walk zone as running north to south from Pierce Road to Lake Michigan Drive and east to west from 68th Avenue to 78th Avenue. The walk zone will be introduced starting this upcoming school year, which begins Aug. 24.
“We truly apologize for any inconvenience this creates, but this is a step that is necessary for us to address the ongoing shortage of licensed school bus drivers,” Cooper said in a July 27 statement.
Other schools in Ottawa County, such as Spring Lake and Holland, have had walk zones for decades, Cooper said.
The district hopes that instituting the “walk zones” will allow for more flexibility with daily runs and reduce the number of students riding each bus, along with allowing latitude in an emergency should the district encounter a staffing shortage.
— Mallory Burt is a reporter for Ottawa News Network. Contact her at newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.
