Douglas County CO School District to Charge Fees for School Bus Rides, to Affect 17K Students

Parents in Douglas County, Colorado, are understandably upset because they are being asked to pay if their kids want to ride the bus to school in the state's third-largest school district. According to the Denver Post, the school board voted 5-0 Tuesday night to approve a 50-cent-per-ride transportation fee starting next school year. Approximately 17,000 students ride the school bus in the district. When have you ever heard of any child paying to ride the school bus in this country?

The buses will have Zonar GPS units to track student ridership. Students will have a card or a ZPass that will track their use of the bus. Douglas County Schools will have to pay $221,000 in three equal installments over the next three years to fully implement the GPS tracking technology. That cost covers the system as a whole.

"Cost per bus will likely vary, as some may require more updating than others," said Dianna Miguez, communications specialist for Douglas County Schools.

Families who qualify for the National Free and Reduced Lunch Program will not be charged the fee. Students in the Individualized Education Program that requires transportation also will not be charged.

Douglas County Schools is facing $31 million in reductions for the 2010-11 school year. At nearly $16 million, the district says transportation costs make up a large portion of the budget.

I am sure the school district could come up with ways to reduce costs than stick it to the parents. The reality is that our children's public school education is under siege and this is simply unacceptable. What's next? Paying for text books and one's desk?