Son's long walk to school upsets father

EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - Walking to school is not easy in the dead of winter, especially for students in middle school.

Frank Orcutt contacted 22News explaining how his 10 year old son has to walk two miles to school.

His son lives in Easthampton and goes to the Whitebrook Middle School. According to state law and school policy, students who live more than two miles from the school must be bused, but Orcutt's son lives exactly two miles from his front doorsteps to the front door of the school, and because of that he has to walk. If he lived one house over, he would be bused.

It is a situation that is frustrating his father, because the distance is up for debate. The school says it is under two miles, but 22News measured the distance on our odometer, and it turned out to be 2.1 miles.

Orcutt has offered to drop his son off at a bus stop two blocks away where other students are bused, but the school will not let him do that. He is worried about the safety of his child, especially during the snowy winter months.

“It's going to take at least an hour. He's short. He has short legs. He gets distracted just because he's only 10,” Orcutt said.

22News contacted the Superintendent, Nancy Follansbee, to get her side of the story. She said that there are about 26 students who are in the same situation as this family. She said that in order to pick them all up, they would have to get a new bus, which would cost the school district $41,000, and she said that is a cost they can not afford right now.