The school robocalled me about the guy being absent today. I was him go into the classroom, so for a second, I thought, DID HE ESCAPE??!
I called, and the school office checked for me. No, he's right there in the classroom. Some sheet or something was mismarked.
Next year, he has the option to walk to school himself. Can you imagine how terrifying something like this would be in that context?
OTOH, I walked to school by myself from first grade on.
On the other other hand, my walk was a quarter of a mile, not nearly a whole mile, with no busy streets to cross.