Sometimes, it’s not math problems and essay writing that are a challenge for kids. The real brain boggler is figuring out how to get to school.
That’s the issue Bridget Cremin knew she needed to find a solution for at Kennedy Elementary School, where she’s worked for 15 years as a social worker. Too many kids enrolled at Kennedy, specifically those living at the nearby homeless shelter, struggled to get to school. Not because they didn’t want to be there, but because policy does not allow for yellow bus transportation for students that reside within 1.5 miles.
Policy and the real world were at odds, The shelter was only .7 miles away, well within the policy limit. However, the realities of the situation required young students unfamiliar with the neighborhood to walk along the busy Milwaukee Street thoroughfare and cross several roads.
Cremin didn’t want policy to interfere with possibility when it meant getting kids to school. And she knew exactly where to seek help – Messiah Lutheran Church, an Adopt-a-School partner via the Madison Public Schools Foundation.
Upon learning about the circumstances and need for transportation, Messiah sprung into action. They applied for and received a one-year $15,000 grant that allowed them to transport these students to school in the 2021-22 school year.
When the grant ran out, they turned to their congregation, raising money to continue this successful, high-impact program. Their funding covers the cost of the van and the expenses needed for a driver and maintenance.
The results speak for themselves: In only one year, attendance rates at Kennedy went from 78% to 92% for children living at the shelter.
But the impact goes beyond data, Cremin said. When needs are met it’s easier for kids to focus on learning. Additionally, it ensures kids have a stable environment during what can be a chaotic and tumultuous time as their families work to obtain a more permanent residence.
“Once safe and fed, they can start doing the things like learning and growing. Even if kids are here, but they’re coming half the time they’re never fully getting into the rhythm of school,” Cremin said. “The social aspects and relationship aspects are huge.”
A longtime partner steps up in a whole new way – the back story.
Years ago, Messiah Lutheran began to collect clothes to donate to folks in need. But things changed when two members of the church had the idea to take children’s clothes to Kennedy for kids lacking essentials. What started as a single, selfless gesture soon blossomed into a formal community partnership that dates back to 2017.
Fast forward, and Messiah and Kennedy’s relationship is stronger than ever, with the church serving as the school’s primary Adopt-a-School partner. They regularly provide school supplies and other resources for students and teachers.
That close relationship and long history is why Cremin looked to Messiah when she wasn’t sure where else to go as she set out to tackle the transportation issue.
“It’s a beautiful story of community, how they’re coming together to make it happen for these families and kids,” Cremin said. “You can imagine what it does for us and the families to be able to tell them we can transport their kids to and from school.”
Cremin worked directly with Elizabeth Crummy and Paula Darr, Messiah’s volunteer coordinator and Adopt-a-School liaison, respectively. Together they explored options and developed the plan to transport students from the shelter to school, while also collecting data to understand the program’s impact.
“One Sunday morning our pastor was talking about generosity and said we have the capacity to do more than we think we do,” Crummy said. “He noted that in a couple weeks we’re going to hear about the transportation grant for Kennedy expiring. He said, ‘We are going to do this and make it happen.’”
Having the data available on the difference made for students in just one year was instrumental. The church’s parishioners, many of whom live near Kennedy, overwhelmingly stepped up to ensure the program continued.
One willing partner. One change. So much impact.
Crummy, while discussing the program, recalled one student’s attendance rate hovered around 50% prior to having access to transportation. One year later the same student had an attendance rate above 90%.
“All of last year, every single school day any kid staying at the shelter got a ride to school,” Cremin said. “And a vast majority got a ride home through the YMCA afterschool program. Our hypothesis (that providing transportation would improve attendance rates) couldn’t have been more correct. The data is incredible and better than our district average.”
For more information on the Adopt-a-School program, click here.
