Rain or shine, volunteers for the Walking School Bus Program at Sanford Pride Elementary show up every day to help a group of students make the morning bus.
This is the second year of the program at Sanford Pride. Carol Lantagne is the program’s coordinator. Every day before school, she and a staff member or two from Pride will walk in a specific neighborhood in Sanford to ensure kids in the area arrive for the bus on time and ready for the day.
The volunteers meet in the CVS parking lot on Main Street, approximately a half mile from the school, at 7:35 a.m. They begin their route walking opposite the school, taking a right onto Charles Street, then a left on State Street Court. During their route, they pick up students from their homes and make their way to the bus stop. The students are excited to be walking with familiar faces of students and volunteers from the school.
They eventually land at the intersection of Main Street and State Street, where the school bus picks them up right around 8 a.m.
On one Thursday, Lantagne brings hula hoops and blow-bubbles for the students to play with while they wait for the bus. She brings a variety of toys each day to let the students play with.
Lantagne said she has a variety of volunteers from the school who will walk with her and the students in the morning, from school counselors to health teachers to even the principals.
“(Assistant Principal) Kristin Daly walks with us some days,” said Leah Marks, the Sanford Pride Outreach Coordinator. “It’s really special for the students to see them in the neighborhood.”
Daily said the school has seen many benefits from the program.
“The walking school bus has been successful for Pride,” Assistant Principal Kristin Daly said. “A few of the benefits include improved attendance and a greater connection with students and families. It has also been helpful to gain insight into the neighborhoods our students come from.”
Marks said the students will get excited when they can walk with their principals.
Families who live nearby can also bring their children to the intersection, where they get to play with their friends while waiting for the bus.
Once the bus comes, the students, led by Lantagne and Marks, follow the proper safety guidelines as they cross the street and get on the bus to head to school.