The way to school is now "harmless", that's why

“That is a bottomless cheek”: A mother from Altenstadt cannot believe that the bus to school in Schongau will no longer be free for her younger son.

In the future, the problem will affect all children from the 5th grade: The way to school has now been classified as "harmless".

Older students can still drive for free.

Altenstadt / Schongau -

Bianca Hornauer is pissed off.

From this school year onwards, she has to pay for the school bus from Altenstadt to Schongau to the Pfaffenwinkel Realschule for her younger son.

The way is not only long, "I also don't want my child to have this dangerous footpath in the morning at night and in fog," says the native of Altenstadt.

In winter, the eleven-year-old had to leave Bajuwarenweg shortly after 7 a.m., when it was still pitch dark.

And twice a week there is school for the now sixth grader until 4 p.m. - by then it is almost dawn in winter.

"A bottomless cheek"

"It is a bottomless cheek what our district is doing there," she does not hold back with her anger.

And can't understand any of that either.

Because in the 5th grade, the bus ride to the secondary school was still free.

And the ticket for the 16-year-old son - same school, same route - will still be accepted.

"And why on earth does a child from the neighborhood who goes to middle school in Schongau pay for the bus, but my younger child doesn't?"

55 euros per month for the ticket are also quite a burden.

She considers the 2.7 kilometer long walk from Bajuwarenweg in Altenstadt to the Schongau school center to be dangerous and is worried about her youngest child.

The District Office confirms that school transport will no longer be taken over for the sixth graders with immediate effect, but it will be for the 16-year-olds.

Justification sounds paradoxical

For what sounds so paradoxical, there is a long reason: From the 5th grade onwards, only children who walk to school are longer than three kilometers or who have a particularly dangerous or arduous way to school are entitled to transport.

This is apparently no longer the case for this route lately.

Last year, two inspections of the way to school between Altenstadt and Schongau took place, for the first time in July 2020, as Klaus Mergel, deputy press spokesman of the district office, explained on request. The result of the inspection with the school route safety officer Wolfgang Mini, a representative of the Schongau police, district administrator Andrea Jochner-Weiß, the Altenstadt mayor Andreas Kögl and Helmut Stork, head of public safety and order in the district office: This route to school is not considered "particularly dangerous" or " difficult "to assess.

“At the same time, however, it was agreed at this appointment that, to be on the safe side, a final inspection of the way to school should take place in December 2020 - in winter conditions,” explains Mergel.

Therefore, it has been determined that the costs of transport will in any case still be covered for one school year, i.e. the year 2020/21, but on a voluntary basis.

The parents were also informed about this.

Because the second on-site visit at the beginning of December 2020 came to the conclusion that the way to school was also feasible in winter, the transport costs were canceled from 2021/22.

Only the smaller children are affected

All children who attend middle school, secondary school or grammar school from year 5 are affected.

At the same time, however, they had agreed on “grandfathering” for the older students, explains Mergel.

All pupils who have been attending one of the Schongau schools for more than a year travel for free for the rest of the school year - including Bianca Hornauer's 16-year-old son.

The younger one drove for free last year only due to the transitional arrangement.

“A cut has to be made somewhere,” the deputy press spokesman explains the procedure.

Because the regulation is only just coming into effect, not many children are affected, Mergel only knows about this one complaint from Altenstadt.

To ensure that all children are treated equally, the city of Schongau also supported the middle school and discussed this in a school association meeting.

Esther Laue from the main administration in Schongau previously had to inform the parents of a new high school child about the new regulation.

Elementary school students are not affected.

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