ENFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION
ENFIELD , CONNECTICUT TRANSPORTATION APPEALS The duty of transporting public school children is placed by statute in the hands of local Boards of Education . While there is no exact distance established by law in our state as to how far a child must walk to school or to a school bus line , the State Board of Education has consistently found that elementary children between the ages of six and sixteen years should not be expected to walk more than one and one-half miles to school or to a school bus line and secondary students ( junior and senior high school students ) under sixteen years of age should not be expected to walk more than two miles to such points . In situations involving hazardous conditions , the State Board of Education takes into consideration such factors as the type of hazard present , the length of time children are exposed to the hazard , the number and ages of the children involved . Section 10-186 , 1958 Revision of the General Statutes , establishes procedures which parents may use when they believe that the local board of education is failing to provide reasonable and necessary transportation for their children . In general , this section of the statutes provides that :
1 . Any parent or guardian of a child who is over six and under sixteen years of 264 age may petition the local board of education in writing for a hearing concerning the transportation of his or her own child or children . ( It is recommended that such a petition be sent to the secretary of the local board of education by registered mail with a return receipt requested so that the parent is informed as to when the petition was received ).
1 . The local board of education is required to give a petitioning parent or 271 guardian a hearing within ten days from receipt of the written petition .
1 . The local board of education is required to make a finding within ten days 274 after it holds the hearing noted in item 2 above .
1 . If a local board of education fails to give a hearing or fails to make a finding 277 within ten days after holding such hearing , or is any parent or guardian is aggrieved by the decision of the local board , he may then appeal in writing to the State Board of Education for a hearing . ( Group appeals or petitions are not acceptable for State Board of Education purposes ; a separate petition of appeal must be filed for each family . Such petitions may be for any number of children within one family who are between six and sixteen years of age .)
1 . Upon receipt of a petition of appeal , the State Board of Education will cause 285 a hearing to be held by its hearing agent in the town in which the complaint arises . ( Each case is decided on its own merit . However , a number of appeals may be heard at anyone hearing .) The report of the hearing is made
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