CAPE CORAL, FLa. -- In the days and weeks to come, 4th grader Justin Martin is going to start making the 1.2 mile walk to and from Cape Elementary School. His mother Corina Martin tells FOX4, she doesn't think its safe.
"It's a far walk for a kid that has hearing loss and asthma," Martin says. A document issued by the Doctor last month affirms Justin lives with mild hearing loss in his right ear.
The Beach Parkway and Del Prado intersection is why his mom doesn't like the idea. "We would have to walk along Del Prado and Del Prado is one of the busiest streets in Cape Coral," Martin said. Rather than Justin pushing the button to cross Beach Parkway, his mother thinks the school should provide transportation. "I would like for their to be some type of bussing for him."
According to the Lee County School District, Justin's hearing isn't poor enough to receive exceptional student education, or ESE, transportation. A statement from the school districts spokesperson says in part, "His hearing loss is apparently mild as documented by the Doctor but the District also assessed him to be certain. Results indicated the student did not qualify for ESE services. The school did offer the mom $2 a morning before school care so that she could walk the child to school and return home to put her middle school child on the bus."
In addition, state guidelines regarding ESE transportation require the child to demonstrate a need for special education or his or her hearing loss must interfere with academic performance.
