12.05.11: Home-To-School Transportation - Request for Action
By Walrath, David
SSDA sent an Urgent Action Needed request (07.14.2011: Urgent Action Requested) regarding the targeting of small rural school districts with the State Budget proposal to eliminate Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation as mid-year cuts if state revenue projects are significantly lower.
Many school districts asked if passing the Board resolution after August 15, 2011 would still be effective. YES, passing the resolution and sending it to your legislators and the Governor after August 15 still will be effective.
Additionally, some school districts have asked for a sample press release. Click here to view a draft press release for your use as a template.
If your school district has not approved a resolution already, SSDA continues to ask that you approve the resolution.
The San Diego Union-Tribune released an article today that states, in part:
Many of San Diego County’s backcountry school districts are expecting to dig into their reserve funds to keep buses on the road and students in the classroom as the state waits to see whether it will have to cut millions of dollars in transportation funding for schools statewide.
If the state does not bring in enough tax revenue by Dec. 15, officials could enact painful cuts of up to $248 million in transportation funding. According to the state’s budget, those cuts are to happen immediately, but the Legislature has January to determine whether other reductions could be made instead.
For districts in North County’s sprawling backcountry where homes are sometimes on acres of land and miles away from each other, cutting transportation isn’t an option. The students have to get to school, and the only way to keep the buses running is by funneling money from reserves and into transportation budgets.
Possible midyear cuts to backcountry transportation:
• Julian Union Elementary and High School districts
Covers 620 square miles; 525 bus riders
$50,000 cut to busing
• Ramona Unified School District
Covers 172 square miles; 1,500 bus riders
$300,000 cut to busing
• Warner Unified School District
Covers 432 square miles; Less than 200 bus riders
$97,000 cut to busing
• Fallbrook Union Elementary School District
Covers 260 square miles; 1,300 bus riders
$381,000 cut to busing
