Snow keeping local student out of school

This winter's weather has given many Edmontonians problems but for one family, it has gone as far as keeping a child out of school.

Frances Preston is an amputee.

She uses a wheelchair and usually takes her six-year-old granddaughter Monica to school -- 12 blocks away at Crawford Plains in Mill Woods.

That task is made even more difficult as Preston also has to push two-year-old grandson Mark in a stroller whenever she takes Monica to school.

Since the heavy snow dump, subsequent snow falls, ice and piles of windrows, that sidewalk journey, which is usually hard during this season every year, has now become impossible.

"I'm stuck, you could say. Not just in the snow. I'm stuck with no solution," Preston, who has custody over Monica and Mark, said on Monday.

Preston has talked to family, other parents, parent council, the school's principal, and the school board, all in an effort to try and find some way of getting the Grade 1 student to school during the winter.

But so far, no luck.

"I'm getting stuck all over the place trying to find solutions," Preston said. "I really want to see my granddaughter in school."

It's now been a month since Monica stepped foot inside her classroom.

She's instead been home schooled by Preston the last few weeks.

"It's kind of sad how she can't get through it," Monica said.

Crawford Plains has no buses going to it except for a special needs bus, however the school board said Preston's family doesn't qualify for service because it is the guardian and not the child who has special needs, citing funding as an issue.

There's also a transportation system designed for students who live outside what is considered walking distance to the school but Monica lives within the walking area.

"We care very much about getting the child to school but our bussing is designed to provide transportation services for students who live outside their walk area," said Lorne Parker with the Edmonton Public School board. "Our system simply can't handle all those individual requests,"

Preston said everyone she's talked to has tried to help solve the problem but nothing has been working.

"The principal has been trying her hardest to find a solution, the trustee has been working with me, we've tried to come up with many ideas, but it just didn't pan out," Preston said.

For now Preston, Monica's school principal and the school board is hoping that a family in the neighbourhood can come forward to help Monica get to school until at least the spring.

"We certainly would love to have Monica back at school and we really miss her," said Jean Carter, Crawford Plains' principal.

"What more can I do?" Preston said. "Has anybody else got any ideas?"

With files from Julie Matthews, Global News