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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 $75 a quarter to send her kids on the bus, they drive them to school. It is good they have that option. I guess the school boards don't have enough money,” Jill Pehle-Killeen wrote.
- “Dont we pay school taxes? Where does that money go? People can barely afford food & gas what makes them think we can afford to pay for anything else?!” Jeanette Allen posted.
Do you think transportation to school should be free?
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What do you expect from one of the most broken, corrupt, tax-laden states in the nation. Why do you think about 1 million people born in Illinois vote with their feet and leave every year. Want to see the future of Chicago and much of the state - look across the lake to Michigan. Enough said!
All I know is where I live 28% of my property tax goes to the local school district. If the same thing is done in this school district they are already being paid.
The
district’s pre-kindergarten through grade 12 program serves
approximately 16,400 students in 16 elementary schools, four middle
schools, and three comprehensive high schools. The district also offers
various alternative schools and five choice programs.
You like 28% of your taxes go to educating these little people? I don't have kids so why do I have to pay for other's little mistakes? The point is, you have them, pay for them. It's as simple as that. Can't pay.. then don't &^%$!
China has a solution. They will pay for only one child. They tell everyone that if they cannot afford a second child, don't have one. Some people can afford the second child which means the parents pay for EVERYTHING the child needs.
Reba, were you educated in the public school system?
Hey Reba. If you get sick , don't go to the hospital unless you can pay for it. We who have kids don't want to pay for your illness.
Not safe to walk to school? The parents need to walk them or take them in a car themselves. PAY THE FEES parents. You had them, you pay for them. I'm sick of paying for the little rugrats!!
What a great day for regular traffic to get those dang buses out of the way in the first place!
I have to pay $300 a year for each of my kids in Montana to ride the bus. Pisses me off it costs that much!
What? You are upset about 300 a year? THEN DON"T HAVE THE LITTLE BRATS! You play, you pay. Can't afford it? Don't #$%&!
She is paying. If she is a homeowner, she is paying.
Seiously $300 for 181 rounds trips to school and you're complaining? That's 83 cents a trip. We drive our kids to school. It probably costs us two or three times that in gas money alone.
That's not the point. It is just another surtax.
Oh Reba. You got issues getting that angry at someone over the internet. No, I dont want to pay $600 for 9 months of riding the bus. Last time I checked, our school systems were funded by government and lottery tickets, which by the way is alot of money. Wheres that money going? Everything is costing more and more no matter what you make and its pinching the middle class.
You got balls calling my kids brats over the internet. Your such a tough girl. Your luck this isnt you talking to my face f***in crazy b*tch
Sean, I see your point but when theres a bus full of kids, the school is making money. If I knew where it was going maybe I wouldnt complain. But I dont, so its pissing me off.
In reality, Im lucky also. In this county, we're the only neighborhood that actually has a schoolbus. I dont know how people with low income do it.
That's the point, they are having a hard enough time already. Books, clothes, supplies, it costs a lot just to get them ready to go.
Oh yes, lunches are $3.00 each. (I make my kids lunches) School supplies, clothes, books, donations for carnivals ect, field trips, bus fees, snacks, lotion tissues all that...the parents have to supply. I dont know where all the money is going.
This is the problem... our tax money going to pay for this. It makes me sick.
You can always move to another country if you don't want to pay taxes for education. Sometimes we just have to get our priorities right.
Reba, do you have children?
Oh, I hope she dosent. She has anger issues.
It makes me sick that REBA can go to a hospital and get emergency care with our tax money. Reba. If you have an emergency, just die.. We don't want to pay for you... GEEEZZZZ.....
Paying to ride a school bus may not get your child home before dark or any sooner.It just might make child get home later because pay to ride bus may cause children to play with friends longer ; because they might figure they pay for ride and bus has to wait for them. Just thinking out loud.
Welcome to the land of Obama....pay your school taxes ....pay your state taxes and get nothing but more fees thrown at you....
So, paying for your own kids is more fees thrown at you? As it should. They are YOUR responsibility, not other taxpayers. It's too bad you don't pay more for K-12. Tax credits for kids... it should be tax debits.
Reba....whats your problem lady? Are you pissed because you cant have kids? I dont think you realize how much we have to pay for public school. I care about the fees very much because in the end, with costs rising, its going to affect our future generations education.
Wyo, I think she is just trolling. Nobody acts like that.
Nobody sane anyways lol.
I rode my bike to school from about the 5th grade through college.
Another sad consequence of the Blagojevich debacle. I am a lifelong resident of Illinois and believe me--we are all suffering for his mismanaging of state money. Our state taxes alone this year required our family to pay additional tax for the first time. I am also the mother of two children, one of whom occasionally rides the school bus. I realize I am not one of those who depends on the bus system to get their children to school, but I am grateful for the option. I can afford to pay if necessary. I feel for those parents who earnestly want their children to attend school but do not have the resources to shuttle them back and forth. These state cuts are hitting the elderly and their ability to purchase medication, the poor, and the developmentally disabled. I know the state is in serious debt, but why punish those with meager means in order to set it straight???
I live in southern california and I was looking into the school bus program at my daughters school district...well that was going to cost me almost $300 for a few months.
Educational costs are paid by the taxes we pay to the town in which we live, the taxes are assested on property, the home you live in and the vehicle(s) you own. I understand that if you do not own a home or a vehicle you do not pay property taxes - those of us that do pay your share. This is why mil rates are established. I live in liberal land Connecticut. The tax you to death state. If I could dump my house I would get the hell out of this wack job state.
And how about all those little fund raisers they foist on the students? My kindergarten niece and nephew were out selling cookie dough to raise money for classroom supplies. It's a constant hit.
Fund raisers are used for after school stuff. You do not have to participate. If you CHOOSE to buy into it, it is you choice.
Well of course I am going to buy into it. What choice do I have, I sent my own kids out on those selling sprees. But this is kindergarten, and this is for paper for the classroom. I will be doing this for the next twelve years, at least:)
Well of course I am going to buy into it. What choice do I have, I sent my own kids out on those selling sprees. But this is kindergarten, and this is for paper for the classroom. I will be doing this for the next twelve years, at least:) Not only that, they are also selling a very delicious frozen New York cheesecake. At least it is something worth the money. Sorry about the double post, error message.
getting money by saving cans, paper plastic, churches youth groups would do this to get money selling light bulbs popcorn something but but but just an idea
This has to do with the overall running of the education system! I can spell it all out in one word UNIONS!!! The property tax people pay is getting higher and higher and what we get for it is less and less. I am not critical of teachers and cannot blame them for wanting more. It is a very hard job and it is critical to the future of our nation.
That said there needs to be a reality check, Automatic raises every year when the economy is bad, low (if any) contrubutions to retirement or health care. We have to get real with what a state employee gets paid. it will not to much longer that people especially those retired on a fixed income will be forced out of there homes just so the unions can get dues. I know it already happens but it wll get to be a real problem real soon.
Since the unions took control of the education system the standards have gone down and down. Higher drop out rates because alot of teachers will not do what it takes to get there attention. I read yesterday that California is thinking about droping the standards just to get its graduation rates up. The union does not say lets work harder but lets cut standards and work less. Buy the way we want our 5% raise this year.
The average pay for a teacher in Connecticut is $65,000.00 per year, and crazy benefits. Administrators get over $100,000.00 per year. They don't even have to do a good job - because they are union, they can not be fired. Also, teachers are exempt from paying SS tax. They can not collect SS at retirement, and would they want to participate, they by contract have a very sweet retirement plan tha t we get to pay for.
We are a small community school corporation, and the top guy makes over 100000. Then you have principles, vice-principles (sp?), teachers aides, athletic director, his staff...this school is probably working on twice the staff size with less students than thirty years ago.
You are 100% correct sickofthieves...
What really surprises me is the fact that Illinois has the Education Lottery, and the money is suppose to go towards Education which includes bus transportation, remodeling, etc. Instead, they now take the funds to do other things and only a certain percentage goes to the school system. Every state, not just Illinois, who have adopted these so-called Education Lotteries, have now munipulated the system and are funding other things, or some people may even be pocketing the money. Some of the schools aren't as close as they once were and I agree that there are just far too many pedophiles out there to put the children at risk. If parents can't afford school lunches, and trust, there are plenty in the public school system that aren't on assistance and can't afford it, how are they suppose to pay for Transportation cost to get their children to school? I expect there will be alot of children being homeschooled or dropping out period because these cost, in which government officials have mismanaged the funds, and are now looking for the taxpayers to cover, are getting ridiculous.
Good point, I forgot all about that. That has to be a huge moneymaker.
Yup. The lottery got pushed through in Texas ONLY because they promised it would pay a huge portion to education... I doubt they get much of it though. Prick Perry has that money earmarked for his elite kings and queens.
Illinois has had the Lottery since the mid 70's and the money was supposed to help education. What a flop that was.
WHEN I was a kid we had to walk to scool bare footed through the snow and up hill both ways.
Yep, but it only lasted until third grade, right?
this is a real bad idea less kids will attend school = less money to the schools =means less school buses and drivers, you open up your own car pool system with your suv they will regulated the heck out of you. kids need the service regardless how close they are because many parents need to get to work at certain times and can not drive their kid to school this is a direct effect of a bad economy that is the economy that they have told us is getting better our great president has refused open up more federal land to drill oil so gas prices will continue to be high if gas prices are high everything else goes up thank you mr obama now i have to drive my kid to school for 10 years no problem now obama takes office many problems
Ah yes Illinois. Last year, the FBI gave Illinois the distinction of being the state with the most gang members per capita out of all the states in the union.
We now have a DREAM Act and sanctuary cities that rob real Americans of protection from illegals, and give Latin Americans diplomatic immunity.
The public schools in minority filled towns are horrible.
I know teachers that go over the answers to the tests the students will take just before they take them so as to keep their test scores up. I always thought that was cheating but I guess if your an illegal, ever minute of your life is a lie.
You know........we could just get those buses to drive all the way to Mexico. Hmmmm?
Let me see, we pay taxes. The money goes into the state and federal general funds. The people who get most of the money are the ones who were hired or elected to run the government, schools etc. When the chairman for a county school district gets more money than 5 average families make that live in that school district and then gets a bonus in December of 15,000.00 dollars, plus a free house to live in, a free car to drive with a credit card to pay for gas that they dont pay for. That where the problem is . That is why there is no money to pay for buses or drivers, or the fuel to run them. Mis-management at the top. Parents should NEVER have to pay for their kids to ride a bus to school. EVER. Kick the bums out!
How about rickshaws instead of those smelly buses. We could strap politicians to them and they could run the kids to school. CHOP CHOP!
If you take away a free bus ride, especially in rural areas, you take away a child's right to a free education
Illinois money stolen by the corrupt politicians for years who are elected again and again a perfect example of ignorance.
Illinois has to be the worst run state in the union. There's a reason that the two most recent governors of the state are in federal prison. Any IL residents reading this do yourself a favor and move to Indiana you won't regret it.
I imagined this (charging fares or fees to ride school buses) years ago, but instead of the pass program described in the story, I imagined fare boxes being installed on school buses, just like on city transit buses. School children would be charged $1 or so each way to ride, and passes would be issued. No money-the student would have to walk or get a ride home. Financially strapped school districts, looking for ways to raise needed money to defray the cost of busing, are now starting to do this. I also imagined school districts selling advertising space outside and inside of school buses-again just like on city buses. Obviously you won't find ads for alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, casinos, or titty bars being advertised on school buses, but there are a lot of other products and services that can be advertised. But if a school district needs money without having to ask the taxpayers for more, maybe advertising on school buses, in addition to charging fares to ride, could be the way to go in order to preserve school busing. Only drawback-many parents and educators prefer schools to be "advertising-free" zones. But push come to shove, what would be the most palatable to the voters? Selling advertising on school buses or raising property and sales taxes every couple of years-with voters repeatedly saying "no" to new taxes.