City of Ironwood's Daily News Source

Are We There Yet?

IRONWOOD - Yesterday hundred of Ironwood School children participated in the National Walk to School Day. Hundreds of students from Sleight, Norrie and L.L. Wright gathered across the street from Lahti's in downtown Ironwood.

Students were brought to the parking lot by their parents, school buses, bikes, skateboards or by Thom Mc An's.

There were parents that volunteered to walk with the students and provided additional support for the teachers. Students from Luther L Wright High School also helped in chaperoning the young elementary school students.

The R.O.T.C. also participated in the event and provided the color guard for the High School March along Ayer Street.

Additional security for the students was provided by Sheriff Pete Matonich, Ironwood Public Safety Director Bob Erspamer and half of Ironwood's Public Safety Officers. Our kids had more security than the President of the United States.

The kids had a safe and enjoyable walk to their respective schools, and nowhere was it to be heard "Are We There Yet?"

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Background Info on National Walk to School Day

In 1969, 48 percent of U.S. children walked or rode their bikes to school. In 2009, that percentage was 13. Perhaps unsurprisingly, in the same four decades the percentage of children being driven to school by their parents has increased from 12 to 44.

Walk to School Day can be a first step in reversing that trend and is a great way for a school to generate interest in the Safe Routes to School Program. The event is promoted by the National Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program and is aimed at drawing communities and schools together to combat the problem of childhood obesity by encouraging a healthy, active lifestyle.

"Safe Routes to School has a proven track record throughout the country of increasing the number of kids walking and cycling to school.

Now in its 13th year, this one-day event in the U.S. is a part of an international effort in more than 40 countries to celebrate the many benefits of safely walking and bicycling to school and to encourage more families to consider getting out of the car and onto their feet on the way to school in October.

As of Oct. 5 more than 3,200 U.S. schools have registered their local Walk to School Day events on the U.S. Walk to School website, www.walktoschool.org, and this number is expected to increase throughout October. The total number of participating schools each year is not fully reflected by the reported numbers on the Walk to School website, as many communities participate and do not register their events.

We learned from IASD teacher Denise Woodward that Walk to School Day and information about "Safe Routes to Schools" is a granting process that provides funding to communities that improve walk ways, bike paths, sidewalks, etc in areas that need safer routes to schools for children that walk or ride their bikes.

This walk to school day was a part of the process in becoming eligible for the Safe Routes to Schools funding resources. There is a subcommittee of Ironwood school staff and community that are currently determining our area's eligibility for Safe Routes to School funding.

Applying for and receiving funding is a lengthy process that involves transportation studies, consultation with city officials, engineering expertise for street and/or sidewalk planning and a walk to school day is just one step in the process of becoming eligible to be considered for funding.