School officials try to stop a mother from riding bikes to school with her son.

In a recent story on foxnews.com, New York school officials are trying to make a mother quit riding to school with her son on her bike. Every day, Janette Kaddo Marino rides her bike the 3 miles from their home to her son, Adam’s school, Maple Avenue Middle School. The school states that it is school policy that non-high school students either ride the bus or ride in the family car. The school policy also reads "The riding of bicycles by elementary pupils to and from school is prohibited." The school is stating that it is unsafe and illegal for him to travel on his own pair of wheels, even with his mother. There is a school board meeting on October 3rd to reconsider the policy. All questions are being referred to the superintendent who refuses to divulge what the committee has recommended. She did praise the “collaborative process” and “positive change of perspective” that the meetings have occasioned.

The boy’s mother is challenging the policy stating that she rides with her son every morning and that he is safe. The school responds that the ride to school is unsafe because they travel along the busy Rt. 9 highway. The mother states that the shoulder is plenty wide enough for her and her son to ride their bikes to and from school. The mother doesn’t understand why the school would have this kind of authority to tell her how to get her kids to school as long as she is with him. She accompanies him and is “very safety-oriented.” The school has asked the students not to walk to school for their safety but the mother argues that her son isn’t “walking” to school, he is riding his bike and she is with him all the time.

I take my kids to school every morning now because of the distance we live from their school and the walk to the grandma’s after school. Before we moved, however, they walked to school and home. It did take a lot for me to let them walk but I eventually allowed them to because they are getting older and I can’t keep them sheltered forever. I have to let them “live”, a little.
I understand the school’s concerns with his safety. I would understand if the boy was riding by himself, but the mother is riding with him and she is watching out for him. So I honestly do not see the big deal with them riding their bikes to school. I would be a little worried about the highway but other than that I would feel safer if I rode with my kids. I was always a little nervous and worried that something would happen but history has shown that my kids get there and back OK. I always make sure that they both walk together and try to get a group of kids to walk with them from the neighborhood. I have also told them that if a stranger stops and asked to give them ride, they are to scream and start running either to school or home, whichever is closer.