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Education
While the federal Safe Routes to School program is funded through the Federal Highway Administration, schools and schools districts are critical partners in the success of SRTS programs. Federal and state education laws often affect interest in and institutional support for Safe Routes to School initiatives. Things like school wellness policies (which are required by the federal Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004), physical activity guidelines, and siting schools within neighborhoods can help build a supportive environment for Safe Routes to School.
The primary federal legislation governing education is the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (or the No Child Left Behind Act). This legislation was due for reconsideration in 2008, but Congress was not able to come to agreement. It is unclear when Congress will take up the bill at this point. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership works in partnership with the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity to monitor progress on the reauthorization and to identify opportunities to strengthen physical activity in schools, including through Safe Routes to School.
Latest News and Information:
Making Schools Green and Kids More Active
May 12, 2009
Last week, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed a new Green Schools bill that would provide $6.4 billion for school construction projects to modernize schools and make them more energy-efficient, including through improving bike/ped access to schools. The full House of Representatives passed the bill on May 14. It must now be taken up by the Senate before it can become law. In other related news, the Partnership has endorsed the FIT Kids Act, which would require school districts and states to report on the level and quality of PE they provide to children, and would add physical activity and wellness as eligible uses of funding for a variety of education programs. The FIT Kids campaign is led by the American Heart Association, and it is hoped that Congress will consider these changes as part of a future education reauthorization bill.
EPA Makes Connection Between School Siting and Environmental Issues
January 10, 2009
In 2009, EPA will be issuing voluntary school siting guidelines, in response to December 2007 legislation. School siting is a very important policy issue in the SRTS movement as the number one reason parents give for why their children don’t walk or bicycle to school is distance. The purpose of this effort is to provide state and local planning agencies, which are directly responsible for the location of schools, with guidance in respect to environmental issues when making siting decisions. EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education is designated as the lead office to manage this agency-wide effort. As a first step in assisting states and other organizations, this November, EPA launched an information
clearing house that can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/schools/siting.html
Safe Routes to School: Leads to Greater Collaboration with Public Health and School Officials
December 2008
This report demonstrates how Safe Routes to School is a collaborative effort involving multiple organizations, including state Departments of Education and state Departments of Public Health. Additionally, the report addresses how school siting decisions at the state and local levels affect opportunities to walk and bicycle to schools, which in turn affects opportunities for physical activity. The four case studies showcase examples of collaboration between public health and school officials at the state level through Safe Routes to School Advisory Committees, school siting guidelines, state standards for physical activity or wellness policies and more. California, Massachusetts, Mississippi, and Oklahoma are featured.
Safe Routes to School: Increases Physical Activity and Improves Health
September 2008
This report indicates how Safe Routes to School is being institutionalized at select schools, and providing a mechanism to improve student and school health. It provides local case studies from Benton County, OR; Eau Claire, WI; Flagstaff, AZ; and Garfield, NJ that detail how SRTS can lead to improved public health. Click here to view the complete report.
No Child Left Behind
March 26, 2008
The Partnership is working with the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity to secure language in the No Child Left Behind reauthorization related to physical activity and Safe Routes to School. California Congresswoman Linda Sanchez introduced HR3438 regarding the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act. Her main focus was gang prevention and bullying, however, she also included language that sets forth ideas for incorporating physical activity into the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act. Advocates believe that there will be no major action on the bill until after the election, but efforts are continuing to include grants for non-infrastructure Safe Routes to School programs when the next Education Act comes to fruition. For more information, please visit the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity.
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