I am disappointed with the new transportation policy of Hampton District #1. For once, our children are not being put first, their safety is being compromised, and no one seems to want to do anything about it. Letters were sent out that notified parents that transportation would not be provided to children that live within 1.5 miles of the school that they attend. That letter left out a lot of other things that parents need to know such as there will be no pick ups or drop offs at child care centers and transportation will not be provided if a child needs to be dropped off outside of their attending zone. What would you propose us working parents to do--leave our jobs on Hilton Head Island to pick up our kids? take a late lunch to pick up our children? Ask family members to help out--what if we don't have any family members that live in the area? Switch our daycare centers--what if there are no openings? There are so many things that we have to worry about as parents, and now, with our children being dropped off far away from home, we have to worry about the threat of sex offenders because our children will probably be walking past their houses somewhere along those 1.5 miles. If schools so readily ask for donations and fundraisers for playground equipment, sporting events, and such, why not ask for donations for reliable transportation to ensure that our children are safe and we can continue working and not worrying. Would you rather us become unemployed? The school district is having many of us to choose between our children and our careers--some of us cannot afford to make that decision--and we shouldn't have to. If the district has been willing to provide transportation for so long, why stop now? I am not happy, and I know many other parents are not as well, I hope we can come to agree on something more suitable at the August 23, 2010 School Board Meeting, which will take place at 7 PM at the District Office. If I have to pick my child up early from school every day to ensure her safety, I will. When this happens, remember this is something that the district created.