If schools around here do not maintain a certain percentage of enrollement, they get closed and sold. That forces the kids from those neighbourhoods to get bussed or driven to the next school that remains open. It is a nightmare for everyone. We had a jk to grade 8 school two blocks from us when we started having kids. Of course it got changed to a grade 6 to 8 school, so our wee ones had to go a mile down the road to the next school that was open. We still live in the same house and the school has reverted to jk to 8 now and there are tons of kids walking, and being bussed and driven too. But there are no little kids walking, just the older ones.
My sons in law enforcement, what he has told us of the number of predators out there is down right scary. I would not let my kids walk to school nowadays either.