JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. — Kansas City is under a winter weather advisory Thursday night just after some students were able to return to school for the first time this week.
However, some parents are concerned that remaining piles of snow and ice are getting in the way of their kids making it to school safely.
“As everybody can see, it's not safe,” Jill Davidson said. “With those piles being almost as tall as I am, they can't make it down the sidewalks and are walking in the street. Kids have walked in the street today to get to and from school.”
Davidson lives off Lamar Avenue and Johnson Drive in Mission with her son. She said his walk to school Thursday morning was so dangerous that she had to Uber him. She said driving him is not an option, and that her son’s safety is her top priority.
“I'd rather get charged with truancy than have to go to a funeral for my kid getting hit by a car,” she said.
A spokesperson for the city of Mission said it's the property owner's responsibility to clear sidewalks in most parts of Mission. But they acknowledge it's a challenge because there's currently nowhere to push the snow.
In a statement, the spokesperson writes in part, “We are working on plans for that, but our crews are also preparing for tonight's storm. Additionally, in some instances, we don't have the resources to safely deal with tackling the very large piles of snow.”
In Lenexa, Kristin Lynch’s kids take the bus to school. Like the rest of the area, she’s preparing for more winter weather.
“A lot of the neighbors were driving their students down to the bus stop this morning because they couldn't walk on the sidewalks with all the snow,” Lynch said. “They're ready to go back to school, but the snow definitely does make it more difficult and colder.”
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KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
