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Last update: May 21, 2003
Status: the policy is being investigated.
John will address the school board on June 2, 7:15 PM, at 545 W.
Dayton St.
Contact: John Coleman,
http://www.lic.wisc.edu/bike.htm
by John Coleman
Just in time for Bike to Work Week, I have been informed by my daughter's school that the Madison school district policy on bicycles states that kids under 10 can not bike to school. See: policy (#4233) , item number 3 under Procedures, right after the ban on roller skates, scooters and wagons.3) A pupil under the age of ten shall not ride a bicycle to school.
a)The Principal may make exception upon written request of a parent.
b)The Principal may forbid bicycles on school grounds. "
May 20, 2003
Since I sent my first e-mail about my difficulties with School District policy I have received tentative permission from the principal to ride with my daughter to school. It's unfortunate that it took calls to the District legal office to make progress on this.
Please send me accounts of run-ins you have had with this policy.
John's original report, May 18, 2003
Of course, I assumed that the policy was about students biking to school ALONE.
Oh, naive I was.
Friday morning I was informed that the policy covered my daughter and me
bicycling together and therefore we are not allowed to bike to school
together.
I'm not sure where the school district gets the authority to dictate where
my daughter and I go bicycling in this fine city but apparently they feel
they have that authority. It appears that the policy might have something
to do with having too many alternative forms of transportation on school
grounds. They also ban transport by roller skates, wagons, or scooters. I
guess they need all that space for cars to park.
Reading district policy, I see that a parent can plead for permission from a school principal to bike with their kid. However, I have been informed by the school office that my daughter's principal is unlikely to give that permission. Why would should I need permission to bike with my daughter anyway? What a goofy concept.
This whole anti-alternative transportation policy should be thrown out, but a change of a few words would clarify this policy and make it almost tolerable. i.e insertion of "ALONE" in line 3, a change of "may" to "shall" in line 3(a), and changing the bicycle ban to a LIMIT on bicycles on school grounds in line 3(b) i.e. " 3) A pupil under the age of ten shall not ride a bicycle to school ALONE. a)The Principal SHALL make exception upon written request of a parent. b)The Principal may, LIMIT bicycles TO A RESTRICTED AREA ON school grounds. "
I ask that you write to the school board asking for such a revision/clarification of the policy and cc: the mayor's office and the school district legal office.
SCHOOL BOARD: Bill Keys, President 2 North Rock Road (53705) 238-8575 wkeys@madison.k12.wi.us Ray Allen, Vice President 26 Sumter Court (53705) 829-2772 rallen@madison.k12.wi.us Carol J. Carstensen, Clerk 720 Orton Court (53703) 255-5931 ccarstensen@madison.k12.wi.us Bill Clingan 1715 Madison St. (53711) 258-1411 wclingan@madison.k12.wi.us Juan José López, Treasurer 2532 Fairfield Place (53704) 242-5473 jlopez@madison.k12.wi.us Ruth Robarts 3726 Gregory Street (53711) 238-2273 rrobarts@madison.k12.wi.us Shwaw Vang 5108 Milwaukee Street (53714) 240-3552 svang7@madison.k12.wi.us The School Board's e-mails all together: wkeys@madison.k12.wi.us, rallen@madison.k12.wi.us, ccarstensen@madison.k12.wi.us, wclingan@madison.k12.wi.us, jlopez@madison.k12.wi.us, rrobarts@madison.k12.wi.us, svang7@madison.k12.wi.us please cc: DISTRICT LEGAL SERVICES: Clarence L. Sherrod 545 West Dayton Street Madison, WI 53703 Phone: (608) 266-6250 csherrod@madison.k12.wi.us or June Wilson wilson3@madison.k12.wi.us OFFICE OF THE MAYOR: JEANNE HOFFMAN, Assistant to the Mayor, Land Use & Transportation Analyst jhoffman@cityofmadison.com
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