By Kelsey Binion
<[email protected]>

Every morning at 7:15, Bus 85 picks up about 10 CHS students on Guilford Road. One of those students is senior Victoria Gunnell. Gunnell steps on to the bus with her purse and books and walks to the back of the bus. In five to 10 minutes, Gunnell and the other students arrive at school.

But Gunnell is in the minority among her upperclassman peers. Despite available transportation, there are still numerous students who choose to drive and walk up the trail instead of riding the bus to and from school.

“I don’t think that students that live five minutes away from school should drive because they are going to get to school and home faster if they would take the bus. They are just wasting their own gas money,” Gunnell said.

Junior Jessica Irwin is one student who said she chooses to drive herself. “I don’t mind driving to school because I live like five to 10 minutes away from school,” she said. “I enjoy driving, because I like the freedom and I can do whatever I want to do after school. If I don’t drive to school, I get a ride from a friend.”

The school district has even made it easier for students to ride to school. In addition to eliminating mandatory walk zones, which required students within close proximity to the high school to walk or find alternate transportation, the district also bought 16 new buses this year, so that more students would have the option to take the bus and conserve their own and their parents’ gas money.

Michelle Shaffer, Carmel Clay School substitute bus driver, said, “Buses don’t quite save the district money, but it saves families money.”

According to Ron Farrand, director of facilities and transportation, the grades that predominantly ride the bus are freshmen and sophomores.

“Especially for seniors it is kind embarrassing if you ride the bus,” Irwin said. “Some seniors that don’t have a car are usually in a carpool. Driving for upperclassmen is the ‘cool thing.’”

Gunnell said driving takes away from other activities. “It would be more logical for students to ride the bus. The transportation system makes sure that each student gets picked up. Students are just wasting their own money when they could be using it for food and entertainment,” Gunnell said.

Irwin said it would make more sense for students to ride the bus, but not likely for upperclassmen.

Additionally, many students have are reasons why they have to drive to school instead of taking the bus. Students who participate in club meetings, jobs, sports or any other conflict that does not coordinate with the bus schedule often must drive or catch a ride with another student.

But despite these exceptions, Gunnell still said many students drive who don’t need to. “I don’t think that students are going to stop driving, even though it conserves gas and helps the environment. Kids are kids; they are going to do it anyway. Students like the feeling of freedom and have the ability to leave whenever they like. I would be the same if I had a car,” Gunnell said.

The bell rings at 3:05 to end the day, and Gunnell grabs her books and purse and instead of walking down the trail to the parking lot, she heads to west side of the high school to catch the bus. She walks off the bus at the second stop, heads home, and begins her homework.

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SCHOOL BUSES BY THE NUMBERS

• A large bus tank holds 100 gallons of fuel.
• A tank of fuel lasts for about 8 to 10 days.
• On average, a bus gets 600 miles per tank of fuel.
• Expenditures have risen about 45% from last year.
• Reducing idling saves around $10,000 per year.
• Bus routes are generally 45 minutes long.

RON FARRAND / SOURCE