AGAIN, you miss the point. the walking is NOT THE POINT, the point is a 5 year old's method of transport home was altered by someone OTHER THAN HIS PARENTS and unbeknownst to them. THAT is wrong. you can talk til you are blue about who should walk, what the school regulations are (there is some dispute over where the kid actually lives according to the story, unclear if he lives within the 1.5 mi. and it is beside the point) and who needs exercise. none of that is relevant to this situation where a third party without the authority to do so, determines by what method a child will be sent home.
Interesting. The school says it never told the kid to walk home. Do you think it is possible the kid became confused and simply walked to daycare on his own. Five year olds make mistakes once in a while too!