Dear Matthew Bryant,
I grew up in McCalla Alabama and was forced to attend a school nearly thirty minutes away, despite living only five to ten minutes away from another school. The decision for this wasn’t based on convenience, safety, or what is best for the students. It was simply district lines between Jefferson and Tuscaloosa county.
While district lines are for administrative purposes, their impact on student’s daily lives raise a serious issue. These simple district lines have caused unnecessary stress, limited opportunities, and placed a burden on families no one asked for. Showing that the current system has caused more harm than good to not only our community but many others.
The distance mattered. Long commutes meant early mornings, late afternoons, and no time for family time. Spending hours each week on a bus or in a car was absolutely exhausting, especially as a kid. By the time I was home and had some free time, I was exhausted and overflowing with homework.
Simple things like staying after school for sports and tutoring became impossible and stressful decisions instead of great opportunities. If I stayed late, someone had to drive way out of their way to come get me, which often meant missing altogether.
What makes the situation ten times worse is how easily it could be fixed. School district boundary lines should not be treated as unchangeable when they so clearly hurt innocent students. Families that live near the county lines should be given some more flexible options. To choose the school they think would be best for their family if the school is able to accommodate them.
Districts should work together instead of in isolation. Their main goal should be to make sure their students have the best education possible. These small changes could save family time, reduce stress, and create a stronger connection between the schools and the community.
In the end, forcing McCalla or any other students to travel long distances for an education they are required to receive in which they could receive closer to home and their community shows a systems value that rule over their people. A child’s education should not be decided by a boundary line drawn decades ago.
When policies like these ignore real lives, they stop serving their purpose. It is time to redraw the priorities, even if the lines on the map stay the same.
Thank you for taking the time to review my submission. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Amber Smith