Students and families at Seashore Learning Center on Padre Island are trading the car line for a group bike ride to school once a month as part of a program called the Bike Bus.
The program was started last year by a teacher who had helped launch a similar effort at another school.
"The bike bus was started last year. We had a teacher who helped another school start it... her name is Mara Ellis. She's moved on from our school onto bigger and better things, but yes, she helped quite a bit get that started last year," teacher Megan Blanton said.
One year later, the program is still going strong — and for the families who participate, it has become a highlight of the month.
"This is my kids' favorite day of the month. They get so excited to wake up and bike to school with all the other families. It's a way for us to get outside, exercise, be together, and really come together as a community," parent Jordan Mauldin said.
Teachers say the benefits extend beyond the ride itself. Getting kids moving before the school day begins has a noticeable impact in the classroom.
"Anytime kids are active and they're moving, it helps with everything... it really helps them to get the wiggles out, get their energy going, and then it's also teaching them how your energy needs to be high, but then how you have to bring it in too, so it's fantastic for learning," PE teacher Tara Haney said.
With dozens of children riding alongside traffic on main roads, organizers say safety is a top priority. Parent volunteers and teachers ride alongside students to keep the group on track.
"We have parent volunteers that ride with the students, along with teachers like myself, who make sure that the students understand they need to stay to the right side of the road... there are quite a few students that have these poles with these great little sharks or jellyfish. And so with those, it identifies that they're a little bit lower to the ground," Blanton said.
Blanton said the monthly rides also create teachable moments for the broader community.
"I think it's a great community outreach. It gives our community the opportunity to learn, road safety, to identify when there are children that are on the road that may need a little bit of extra time, um, and a little bit of extra patience," Blanton said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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