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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Why would anyone run a bus to a DCPS for OOB students who have their own IB and also charter options?[/quote]

Because it would be the only way to meet the schools equity goals while also providing transportation between both campuses for IB families. The reason the former HOS stopped the shuttle was that it was viewed as inequitable -- IB parents (mostly white, mostly higher SES) were getting a resource that was not available to OOB parents (mostly black, mostly lower SES). But if you just at a Metro bus that ran a route that stopped at Watkins and Peabody but also served communities across the river, you could meet the needs of both populations equitably.[/quote]

DCPS is not going to run a bus to one particular school to accommodate OOB parents. This is silly. You also need it in both directions to work for the Peabody parents, so it doesn't even work like a normal rush hour bus. It also needs to run after school, which is at a time when virtually no one else would be making that commute (I am skeptical very many people commute from Peabody to Wards 7 or 8 by bus at all, but certainly not at 3). Also, Watkins and Peabody are far apart and quite far from Wards 7 and 8 (both??). Do you know how long this ride would take? And it would sort of replace multiple existing lines, so in an era of bus cutting, this is 100% not something the city would merely add on. And of course it would only go from one particular spot in each of those wards, so would hardly be equitable for all OOB Watkins families. And what about all the OOB kids at every other school in the city? Why would Watkins families get a preference? It just makes absolutely no sense.

What you're really asking for is a school bus and DC doesn't do that. The closest things that exist are all for kids w/in an IB to get to their zoned school, which obviously makes way more sense.[/quote]

No, we're talking about a city bus. There are multiple buses that run routes that, with minor changes, could meet these needs. For starters, you have the 32 and 36 which both already run from across the river up Penn Ave, right past Watkins. One of them could route north up to Stanton park to serve Peabody. There is also the 96 that goes up Mass Ave to Stanton Park -- it could be adjusted to serve Watkins.

The point is that if you want to keep this weird boundary, there are ways to do it with a private school bus. One of the reasons the city does not offer school bus service to most students is that they are supposed to be able to take public transportation in our extensive system. Well, that system does not serve as a bridge between Peabody and Watkins. If we can't do a school bus shuttle between the two campuses, they should ensure that the city bus system bridges that gap.

OR redraw the Cluster boundaries and get rid of this dumb divided school campus.

But keeping the Cluster but not providing transportation of any kind between the two campuses makes no sense.[/quote]

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