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Expanded School Bus Service Offered for a Fee; Secondary Students Who Live 2 Miles Away Must Pay $360 Per Year

Posted on: Monday, 8 August 2005, 18:00 CDT

The Patriot Ledger

Students who live two miles from Randolph's middle and high schools will have a chance to ride the school bus this fall, provided they can pay the fare.

The school committee voted last night to offer the service for an annual fee of $360.

Bus service was among the cuts the committee made to bring the 2005-06 school budget into line with the $29.17 million authorized by town meeting. It was reduced to the minimum required by state law, which meant only kindergarten students and those in grades 1-6 who live more than two miles from school are entitled to ride the buses.

Ruled out for now was offering bus service for a fee at the elementary school level, because of its high projected cost. School committee members said they may ask town meeting for additional money to reduce the cost of the service.

"What we passed here is not ideal," said school committee Chairman Grace Cornish. "But we're doing our best to get kids to school."

She said the committee is concerned about getting kids to school safely and on time.

Superintendent of Schools Richard Silverman said limited bus service to secondary schools represents "the best the school committee can provide with the number of resources."

Added school committee member Larry Azer, "It's a no-win situation whatever we do."

With the fee for the secondary service, Silverman said the schools can cover the cost of the added service and a $52,900 shortfall in the account for bus transportation.

Expanding bus service at the elementary level means renting additional buses, while adding service for the secondary schools only requires buses to make additional runs.

In order to add bus service for elementary students living between 11/2 and 2 miles from school, the fee for elementary and secondary students would need to be $575 per year for both elementary and secondary students.

Silverman said the schools could run a two-week trial of the expanded elementary service to see if there is enough riders to cover the cost. If the trial failed to get enough riders, then the deficit in the school bus account will increase, he said.

"It has to come from someplace," Silverman told the committee. "You're between a rock and a hard place."

Committee members felt the cost of the service was too high.

"I see $575 as a lot of money for our community," said school committee member Paul Meoni.

Committee members are considering asking town meeting for money to cover some of the cost of the added elementary bus service. But a special town meeting is not expected to take place until October or November.

Silverman said he hopes to notify parents within the next week how to register for the bus service to the middle and high schools.

Students in the free and reduced price lunch program can ride the secondary school buses without paying the fee.

Fred Hanson may be reached at fhanson@ledger.com.

Source: Patriot Ledger, The; Quincy, Mass.

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