Walking School Bus gains speed

When school's out for the day at Rockdale Academy in Avondale, things are different this year.

Some kids are getting on the big, yellow bus to head home. Others are taking a different kind of transportation; shoe leather.

They are hooking up with a volunteer wearing a yellow "Walking School Bus" logo.

Instead of kids walking themselves to and from school volunteers – usually parents – escort the students along safe routes to where they are going.

Rockdale’s Principal Cheron Reid said everyone is excited about it.

"This is something we definitely wanted to do. The community was on board, and the parents from day one. So it's like, we're going to make this happen for the safety of our students."

Kids like 5th-grader Shania Gordon know that safety can be a big deal.

"Some people, just couple days ago they ran up on this boy and they jumped him for all his money."

The Walking School Bus program is up and walking at both Rockdale and South Avondale Schools.

The principal of South Avondale, Yzvetta Macon was pleasantly surprised by some additional benefits, like getting to school on time.

"They are not stopping at Burger King, they're not stopping at Family Dollar to buy candy."

In fact, the program is so successful, Cincinnati Public is taking it district wide.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is studying the safe routes, to see if they can help with improved sidewalks or signage.

This all comes at a good time as budget cuts have forced CPS to restrict school buses to students living a mile or more away.

"It turned into an entire win-win situation for the community, the city, the school district, the children, the parents and education," said parent volunteer April Green.

CPS plans to have the program walking everywhere by the end of the year.