RACINE — A program aimed at getting Racine Unified students to school safely and on time is hoping to expand but needs more volunteers to do so.
Stuart Wood serves as the Walking School Bus coordinator for United Way of Racine County, while his son Spencer Wood volunteers with the program.
Watch: Father-son duo gets Racine kids to school on the Walking School Bus
Together, they walk through neighborhoods near Knapp and Julian Thomas elementary schools nearly every weekday morning, picking up students near their homes and escorting them to school.
"Getting up in the morning and walking these students to school every day is amazing," Stuart Wood said.
The program operates like a traditional school bus, but on foot. The group makes stops to collect more students along the route before arriving at school together.
"I walked all of my own children to school when they were growing up, and I value that a lot," Stuart Wood said.
Spencer Wood was inspired to volunteer after watching his father's work with the program.
"I love my dad, and I love what he's doing, because that's what we did when I was young." Spencer Wood said. "Seeing what he does now, it kinda inspired me to come and help."
The Walking School Bus is a United Way of Racine County partnership with Racine Unified School District. Currently, 23 students across Knapp and Julian Thomas use the service.
The program serves students who live too close to school to qualify for traditional bus routes but may not be able to walk to school independently.
"There's other things happening in their family's lives that doesn't always allow them to get there on time," Stuart Wood said. "This program allows parents another opportunity to get their student to school without having to worry about getting to school on time."
It's also an opportunity to help with attendance rates.
"If we are having an attendance issue with a student that's on the route, the school can communicate with us and say, 'Hey, can you add this student because we're having issues with them getting to school on time?' And we've done that," Stuard Wood said.
The service can assist families in establishing morning routines, as parents receive text notifications when the walking group is approaching, allowing them to prepare their children and handle other morning tasks.
The Walking School Bus also provides exercise and social engagement.
"The exercise is good for everybody, and getting them in as quickly as we can to make sure that they get a healthy breakfast at school is paramount," Spencer Wood said.
Julian Thomas Elementary School Principal Dani Dekker said the program has made "a significant impact on our school community."
According to census data, about 33% of the population in Racine's Lincoln-King neighborhood near Julian Thomas does not have reliable transportation.
"The program has increased student attendance, improved punctuality, and fostered stronger relationships between students, families, and staff," Dekker said in a statement.
The program is seeking additional volunteers to be able to include more families who could benefit from the service.
"If we had more volunteers, we would be able to expand, or maybe go another direction, and a number of other families who I've spoken to who would benefit from the walking school bus," Stuart Wood said.
Wood said he would like to run two routes at both Knapp and Julian Thomas to be able to accommodate about 40 kids. That would require two more regular volunteers, according to Wood.
"For every route, we can have up to ten students for each two adults. If we add an adult, I can add another five students," he said.
Despite requiring only a short morning commitment, the program creates lasting impacts for everyone involved, including the father-son duo currently walking these routes daily.
"Not only am I having an influence on these students, but so is my son," Stuart Wood said. "Having those experiences with Spencer is amazing."
Anyone hoping to volunteer must pass a background check. More information can be found at United Way of Racine County's website.
"If you want to have influence on students in our community, I highly encourage you to come do the Walking School Bus," Stuart Wood said.
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