Peoria Public Schools board members threw out their ideas to raise student safety to and from school during Monday's regular board meeting.
This comes after a 17-year-old Manual High School student was shot in the leg while walking to school last week.
The discussion came following an academic update from Superintendent Sharon Kherat. She noted the district's 40.5% chronic absenteeism rate and highlighted strategies to begin lowering it, including pilot programs providing transportation for five students in seven buildings with high absentee rates.
Some school board members believe safety concerns may factor into the rate. Board member Gregory Wilson suggested Peoria might need a Safe Passage program similar to what Chicago has.
"Maybe putting adults that are assigned to a specific route, to ensure almost like the safety of say, a child or child or children, as they walk to school in these hot places. I do think some type of communication needs to be had, you know, and something needs to be formulated," he said.
Wilson suggested it could be a collaboration among police, parents, teachers, and community-based organizations. He highlighted neighborhoods near the Harrison Homes and Lincoln Terrace as areas of specific concern.
Kherat said similar models driven by volunteers were successfully used at some Peoria schools in the past, including Lincoln K-8 and Annie Jo Gordon, the former Harrison School. She suggested an offline conversation take place with Wilson's YANI Collective to talk options.
Board member Paris McConnell said it may be time to revisit how far a student has to live from school before they're eligible for bus transportation.
McConnell said incidents like what happened to the Manual student give her reason for pause.
"I think we need to think outside of the box, when it comes to not only is it distance, but then is there any safety concerns that a parent might have in sending their kid out," she said.
Students who live a mile and a half or less from their school aren't eligible for free bus transportation unless they live on a state-designated hazardous route.
The superintendent said the district may not be reimbursed for added buses and drivers. She said the bus driver shortage also presents a challenge, but it could be doable if the district is able to attract more drivers and is willing to eat some costs.
Kherat suggested more parents also might be keeping their kids at home when they show any signs of illness, and that could be factoring into chronic absenteeism. She noted it's a trend seen nationally.
