She could walk the 3 1 2 miles each way from their home on Kingcrest Terrace to the middle school, or take an MBTA bus, which would cut her walking distance almost in half.

Instead, his wife, Nancy, will reduce her work hours as a customer service representative at an insurance company so she can drive her daughter to and from school.

"In a town the size of Randolph, you can't expect a kid to walk to the middle school from over near the Holbrook and Avon lines" in the easternmost part of town, Powers said.

The Powerses and other families around Randolph won't be able to rely on school buses to get their children back and forth to school this year. As part of the new school budget, bus service was eliminated to save about $452,000. Randolph is the only town in the area, and may be one of the few in the state, not to offer any school bus service.

"This was entirely a budget-driven cut," said School Superintendent Richard Silverman.

Added school committee Chairman Larry Azer: "We chose to cut the buses rather than cut more teachers."

The school budget of $29.67 million for the coming year is $500,000 more than last year's. But the school system had to absorb an additional $3 million in costs for everything from negotiated pay raises for employees to special education expenses, forcing the cuts.

State law requires school systems to provide transportation only for students in kindergarten through the sixth grade who live more than two miles from school, as well as some special education students and English-language learners.

Also this year, the district lines for the elementary schools were redrawn, placing almost the entire town within two miles of an elementary school.

Last year, when their son Bryan attended the middle school, the Powers family was able to pay a fee for bus transportation. But since there will be no transportation for elementary students, that means there are no buses available for fee-based transportation for middle or high school students, since each bus makes multiple trips.

This year, Bryan will take a bus to Blue Hills Regional Technical School.

The schools have been working with other town departments to prepare for the changes, from adding signs and repainting markings at school crosswalks to deciding on the deployment of the town's six school crossing guards.

"We're all concerned about the safety of our kids," School Superintendent Silverman said. "I want to make sure students who leave home make it to school safely.

The school department is encouraging parents to form car pools and walking groups, and each school will hold a meeting to help set them up. A flier on walking safety and suggested routes has been sent home to parents.

At the schools, teachers and principals will be outside the buildings to supervise both the students and the drivers. Silverman said the traffic patterns around school buildings were designed with buses in mind, not a motorcade of cars and minivans.

Teachers have been told to promptly report attendance to the school office, with calls to parents whose children aren't in class. And there will be more emphasis in classes on walking safety and appropriate behavior, the superintendent said.

The change probably won't make him any more inclined to call off school due to snow or other bad weather, Silverman said. But he is "very concerned" over the impact the bad weather will have on student absenteeism and tardiness.

"The more inclement the weather, the more impact it will have on student attendance," he said.

Public Works Superintendent David Zecchini said that all of the town's crosswalks will be repainted and signs installed before classes begin on Sept. 4.

Not included are most of the crosswalks along most of North and South Main streets, which are controlled by the state Highway Department.

The school system was able to obtain a $5,000 grant from the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards for warning signs around crosswalks.

Most school crossings won't be supervised. The number of school crossing guards, who are part of the police department budget, was reduced from 13 to six two years ago. Only one of those crossing guards will be working along Route 28.

Police Chief Paul Porter said he will have officers at some crossings and handling traffic problems around the schools, but because officers still have to have to cover emergency calls, they won't always be available, he said.

There are more schools to cover than the department has officers available on the streets, the chief said.

Even if the town has some money to spend at an expected special town meeting in the fall, Porter's priority would be to to add police officers to the department's depleted ranks.

"I'll want more cops before more traffic supervisors," he said.

The chief and school officials will be monitoring the school crossings for the first few days of classes. Crossing guards may be relocated if there is a greater need elsewhere, the chief said.

Only one crossing guard is stationed along Route 28 because there are pedestrian lights at several locations along the busy road, he said.

Porter urged drivers to be extra cautious as they drive through town around the school hours.

"More than ever, drivers should be cognizant of the fact that more kids will be walking than before and using crosswalks they never had used before," the police chief said.

Fred Hanson may be reached at fhanson@ledger.com.