I live in CA and there are no buses for our school unless your child is in special ed. Many people choose to drive their children because they have to cross busy streets or live a mile or more away. On the end of my street there is a convicted child molester so many people don't want their children walking by his house. So if this mother feels better driving her children that is up to her. My 11 year old dd walks with two of her friends. The child molester is on the other end of our street so she does not have to come close to his house. My 12 year old son does not want to walk with girls (in a few years he will be glad to lol) so I drive him. We are only a few blocks away and he should really walk, but I enjoy talking to the other mothers while I wait for him to get out.