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I am a resident of Albert Lea and concerned parent of an elementary-age child in District 241. On Jan. 28, my kindergartner walked home alone after a substitute teacher failed in her responsibility to safely guide the class of kindergartners to their buses. I am forever grateful to the kind citizens out and about that afternoon who helped our young child navigate home, alone and unprepared to do so. To the woman in the black car who made sure he crossed Bridge Avenue safely — thank you! To the kind-hearted citizen who helped ensure his safety while he walked on roads without sidewalks — thank you! These good people in our community helped prevent a potentially tragic and horrific incident.

Keeping our most precious resources, our children, safe should be at the top of our community priority list. Throughout the school year, I have witnessed people disobey traffic arms, drop off and pick-up rules, speeding near school zones and unsupervised care. Unfortunately, we have also endured multiple “we misplaced your child” experiences with the busing company (five times to be exact). As a lifelong community member, I want my child to thrive here and have the same wonderful experiences I did as a kid. We, as a community, need to work to keep our children safe. Please be on the lookout for our youngest learners and keep our children safe.

Holly Rahn
Albert Lea