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Subscribe to RSSA free ride may be ending for many Illinois students, who, like others in cash-strapped school districts nationwide, may have to pay for their bus trip to school.
NBCChicago.com is reporting that the Illinois Board of Education is considering the move, offering districts in the state the options of eliminating buses altogether or having parents pay the transportation cost. The Illinois school system serves about 2.1 million students.
Nationwide, school districts struggling with massive budget shortfalls have started charging families for what had been a free service, with even more districts, including Palm Beach County in Florida, considering the idea of a pay-to-ride bus system.
Attempts by msnbc.com to contact a spokesperson with the Illinois State Board of Education or U.S. Department of Education was unsuccessful on Tuesday. But state transportation funding for Illinois schools already has been slashed by 42 percent since 2010, according to The Associated Press.
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, most families in the Keller Independent School District started racking up bills in August, with fees up to $170 for a child each semester. Because of Texas law, special needs students continue to ride for free.
“We understand that families are monetarily strapped and people are still upset,” said Dana Chandler, general manager of transportation with the Keller Independent School District with Durham School Services. “But I am not getting 100 calls a day as I did earlier, but down to one or two from parents. Ridership has grown as the year has progressed and I can’t believe it, but it has become successful.”
Parents in Colorado's third-largest school district are in their second year paying $1 day for their kids to ride the bus to school.
"We've had several calls from other districts asking about our program," said Randy Barber, spokesman for the Douglas County School District in Castle Rock, Colo.
Each Douglas County bus is equipped with a Zonar GPS unit to track student ridership and each student is required to carry a card or a ZPass that tracks their use of the bus, Barber said. He said that has helped school officials verify the absence or attendance of a student.
"We have 13,000 students who ride the buses each day. It's been successful in many ways," Barber said.
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The pay-to-ride idea generated a healthy round of conversation among msnbc.com readers on Facebook on Tuesday. Among the comments:
- “It's not surprising given the cost of fuel. Hopefully the fee would be reasonable, and include a plan similar to free/reduced lunches for low income families, otherwise you'd likely see an increase in absent children,” Nicole Block-Flinn posted.
- “My Daughter in Law in Hawaii, would have to pay $75 a quarter to send her kids on the bus, they drive them to school. It is good they have that option. I guess the school boards don't have enough money,” Jill Pehle-Killeen wrote.
- “Dont we pay school taxes? Where does that money go? People can barely afford food & gas what makes them think we can afford to pay for anything else?!” Jeanette Allen posted.
Do you think transportation to school should be free?
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Sounds like they are running out of money to me. All those high priced union jobs.
where did all the lottery money go?
i did too i walk home but now all you see a bunch of wetbacks that their parents dont pay no taxes and i think they are they ones that should start paying they pay in mexico to go to school so why not here over there nothing is free here they come and all they do is have kids cause they get medicaid even if they dont have no papers so they shouldnt have the right to have nothing free here mexico dont give them nothing free so y r they getting stuff free here. we never ask the welfare for nothing and when they come from mexcio they go and lie and say they aint working and they actually are working with fake papers and sttill give them food stamps and medicaid and also they be sayin they dont have a man when they do and they have the whole family living there in the same house and i know it cause i have seen it. They r they ones that suppose to pay
People who dont have children still have to pay school taxes while poor people get earned income big ass tax checks for every child momma pumps out. make em pay for their own damn kids an stop moochin off other people.....
Don't hate
I lived in a small town and we went to High school in the next town. We had to pay for bus to the hgh school back in the early 80's. Even now the town my nephew lives in voted to not fund the bus to the high school in another town. You have to find your own way to/from school
If paying for my children to ride the bus meant not firing teachers, not increasing class sizes, and not cutting school programs and activities then I am all for it. It's about the kids
I just don't see how the government can continue raising our taxes for schools. Many folks are without a job, property values have dropped by half -- or more-- in many areas. How do the local governments respond to this? Why they raise the millage. In my case my property value dropped by 60%, but my property taxes actually increased!! Perhaps if the schools were a bit more frugal I could understand. But, must all school buildings be air conditioned McMansions? Must they all have huge campuses, with huge multi-purpose/theatre rooms. Do they all require playing areas for every concievable sporting actiivity? Do we need the schools to provide lunches and pre/after school "baby sitting" services? There are many of us who have managed to live our lives just fine without all of those added niceties! Go back to basics. Teach the three R's. STOP teaching "to the test". Teach the skills that the kids will NEED after they graduate! teach the skills that employers REQUIRE. If money was not wasted as it is then the schools would have plenty of money to pay for school bus operation. I went to a small rural school, in a relatively poor school district, but the money was used wisely and the school buses were free.
Let them either pay or find their own way to school. If nothing else walking to school would make the fat kids (which is pretty much all of them) healthier.
Why should I pay for your kids to ride a bus to school???
If you go past any school you see traffic jam around them with stupid parents waiting to drop off or pick up little droopy draws. They should have to pay extra if their little brats don't ride the bus.
I think we should take a vote on the 7% that said not sure on what persent of them always vote not sure...
Allow the Mexican drug cartels to drive the buses at their expense and push drugs at the same time.
It's WIN-WIN!
Exactly what the hell are we paying taxes for?? If we pay school taxes to have schools shouldn't they cover the trip? My taxes go up and up and I don't even have kids. Something is seriously wrong with this country when it can't even cover it's own costs. We can pay for everyone elses wars but we can't fix our own roads or keep our schools open. But we can bail out loser CEO's.
God bless America. Home of the slave.
Screw that.... more excuses to drag more $$ out of us. I pay school taxes (that keep going up all the time) and I wouldn't pay any extra fees. If the school can't handle it, then shut it down and homeschool the kids.
While most people would oppose this, I am all for it. It's ridiculous that some of these children live a block or two away from the schools and they have the privilege of being bused. Plus, we as bus drivers have to deal with disrespectful children. Oh and do not get me started on ignorant parents who feel that we are a taxi service, those who are not home when we drop off their child thinking we are baby-sitters, and parents who think their children are angels on the bus but in reality their child is a terror. Yes I am all for parents paying!!! Maybe than they and their children will appreciate it more.