Ledge Gives $25M For School Bus Service
After months of wrangling and impassioned pleas from the Department of Education, the Legislature agreed in conference committee tonight to provide $25 million for student transportation services.
This is $2 million more than the Senate had proposed and well above the $20.3 million in the House version of the budget bill. But it’s still far from the $42 million the DOE says it needs to maintain services.
The Board of Education is expected to approve a plan at an upcoming meeting on how to make up the enormous shortfall. Options being considered include cutting numerous routes and expanding the distance a student has to live from school to qualify for service.
Lawmakers have said it is beyond time for the department to get runaway school bus service costs under control.
This is $2 million more than the Senate had proposed and well above the $20.3 million in the House version of the budget bill. But it’s still far from the $42 million the DOE says it needs to maintain services.
The Board of Education is expected to approve a plan at an upcoming meeting on how to make up the enormous shortfall. Options being considered include cutting numerous routes and expanding the distance a student has to live from school to qualify for service.
Lawmakers have said it is beyond time for the department to get runaway school bus service costs under control.
