Dear Editor:

Transportation costs consume a large portion of a school district’s annual budget. Many school districts are facing budgetary shortfalls. Therefore, some have begun to charge students a fee to ride the big yellow school buses. However, this does not come without controversy. A vast majority of parents do not agree with charging students to ride school buses.

The fee is considered unconstitutional in some states.

Therefore, some state legislatures have begun to pass laws that allow public school systems to charge for student transportation. A few school systems have opted to outsource student transportation to private agencies. These agencies can lawfully charge a fee to transport students.

According to a report in 2011, only 12 states allowed public school districts to charge for transportation.

Special education pupils are often exempted from the bus fee.  Students who participate in the Federal Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Program are offered discounted rates.

A “free ride” will eventually become obsolete.

 

Gerald Shirley 

Selma