‘Walking school bus’ helps reduce chronic absenteeism, increases student safety

Schools throughout Hawaiʻi are working to tackle chronic absenteeism, and with more students skipping school and growing safety concerns, the Piha Me Ka Pono program at Partners in Development Foundation is addressing the issue at Kealakehe Elementary and Intermediate schools with a new innovative solution.

They started a “walking school bus.”

Students living within a 1-mile radius of school often walk since there is no public or school transportation available, resulting in them often taking a detour instead of making it to class.

“Eight out of 10 times, they don’t make it because they stop at a friend’s house, and their parents aren’t aware,” said Shonna Ontiveros, Piha Me Ka Pono’s lead community school coordinator at Kealakehe Intermediate School.

Ontiveros brought the “walking school bus” concept back to Kealakehe Intermediate and Kealakehe Elementary after visiting a school in New Mexico.

The concept is simple: parents volunteer to pick up students who register for the program and walk them to school together as a group. The initiative ensures students have a safe, consistent way to get to school while also fostering more connections between students.

Ontiveros launched the program Dec. 16, 2024, after collaborating with Hawaiʻi County Safe Routes to School, Hawaiʻi Police Department and Hawaiʻi Department of Health to establish safety measures.

About 50 students, mostly from Kealakehe Elementary, joined 14 volunteers the first day for a safe walk to campus. Participants were greeted by a festive inflatable heart mascot and received “walking tokens” redeemable for snacks or small prizes at the end of the week.

“The response was incredible. The energy was contagious, and it was clear we were off to a great start,” Ontiveros said.

The program shows promising results. It now operates Monday mornings, one of the days with the highest student absenteeism, and organizers hope to expand this spring with additional parent and community volunteers.