I walked to school when I was little to Carolina Beach School. Then by 5th grade (1972) I was bussed to 10th & Meares St, 20 miles from home-they needed more white kids. It was a totally negative experience, every morning first thing they cleaned out the drunks, homeless & cleaned up broken glass before we could go out to play. The principal lined up the white kids every morning & told us that she was made to take us white kids, she didn't want us there at all cause she only wanted black kids in her school. She instructed the teachers to make our lives difficult for the 2yrs we were there. I cried, got into fights constantly & I'm a girl (woman now) but it had long lasting affects. My parents just couldn't afford private school & we only had 1 car that Dad used for work. Just think of the better use of money to be used to improve the schools instead of spending on fuel to bus the kids around some starting as early as 6-6:30 in the morning. Doesn't sound economically feasible to me. I know a man that fuels the school buses everyday for the last 8yrs & he says fuel costs have gone up 65% in the last 5yrs. Check it out for yourselves. Let's make the board accountable for their spending decisions especially when it can have long reaching effects on our children's lives. If you want diversity then bring the schools together for studies & social activities, etc.