You may notice a group of children walking to school Wednesday mornings as part of a new initiative in Perry.

The Walking School bus is a joint effort between the City of Perry and the Dallas County Public Health Department.  It’s a group of children walking to school together along a specific route each Wednesday, under the supervision of trained volunteers.

School Resource Officer Pat Jans with the Perry Police Department says he feels this is a great program for all involved.

“It helps ease some of the congestion of vehicles, it also helps some of the overcrowding issues on buses with the in-town kids and it’s just a great idea that also helps promote some good health for the students” says officer Jans.

Perry students can join in on the free program by meeting at the Fareway parking lot by 7:25am or at the Weise Park shelter house anytime between 7:25 and 8:10am.

All volunteers are background checked complete training before leading the students on the walk and teaching them pedestrian safety in the process.  Volunteers will also be taxed with recording attendance of each participant, promoting safety, monitoring behavior and adhering to the bus route and schedule.

If you’d like to help out with the program, contact Dallas County Public Health Community Health Coordinator Jennifer Walters at 993-1764.