A sleepy-eyed boy cracks the door of his apartment, then cracks a grin when he sees a cluster of peers and trusted adults with a chorus of good morning wishes.
At Regal Elementary School, the simple act of walking to school together is positively impacting school culture and attendance rates.
Library information specialist Simeon Bergstedt is one of several Regal staff who lead a Walking School Bus, usually while wearing a silly hat just for the joy of it. He enjoys getting a glimpse of how students start their school days, and says parents appreciate relieves some of the pressure of getting kids to school on time.
“All you have to do is get dressed and open the door, and someone wearing a reindeer hat or someone playing music is waiting with a smile to walk you to school with your friends,” he said. “It makes mornings less of a battle for those families.”
Regal Walking School Bus by Spokane Schools
Regal is one of four Northeast Spokane elementary schools – alongside Bemiss, Cooper, and Stevens – that received a five-year 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) grant in 2023 in partnership with Communities in Schools of Spokane County, which aims to provide extended learning opportunities in under-resourced communities.
At Regal, where over three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, the Walking School Bus has emerged as a meaningful support structure. Groups of students walk to school together under the supervision of school staff and volunteers, helping to improve safety, build stronger routines and reduce tardiness.
Since the Walking School Bus program started late last year, Regal counselor Tony DeBari has seen attendance jump by 20% for some students who used to be chronically absent, meaning students missed 10% or more of school days.
Research shows that regular attendance at school has been associated with measurable academic gains and is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
Among students who participated in the Walking School Bus and were also enrolled at Regal last year, 88% either maintained or improved their attendance level, and a quarter reached benchmark of 95%+ attendance. Since the site was selected for CCLC funding, Regal has seen a 7% increase in students attending school more than 90% of the time and the school cut its rate of severe chronic absenteeism in half.
“Originally, this was just to get kids safely to school, but now they’re excited for school and they’re ready for school,” DeBari said. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to be greeted by a librarian wearing a ram’s head?”