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The Tracy Unified School District has increased its annual bus charge because of high fuel prices.
Schools across the state are slashing bus services and raising bus fees for thousands of students because of budget shortfalls and high fuel prices.
Tracy Unified School District recently increased fees for bus services from $135 to $180 per student this upcoming school year. That totals about $1 per day round trip.
 The annual charge for TUSD bus service has been bumped from 4135 to $180 per student to battle rising fuel prices. Press file photo
"We’re in a difficult spot economically right now," Franco said. "Gas prices are up, and therefore our transportation costs are up."
The school district annual budget for transportation is about $950,000, of which about $100,000 is generated from fees, Franco said.
"So without those fees, the $100,000 would have to come from somewhere else within the district, meaning most likely cutbacks in the classroom to supplement the loss," he said.
Concerned parents are feeling the strain as they are either forced to dish out more money for their kids to ride the bus, or are left with finding an alternative for their kids to get to school.
"I’m disappointed; I’m living solely on child support and government assistance right now, so this comes at a really bad time," said Sarah Sching, who has two children who will be riding the bus in a few weeks, one at Tracy High and one at Bohn Elementary.
Manteca Unified School District, like other school districts, has felt the effects of high gas prices. But MUSD, at least, has never charged in the past and will not charge a bus fee this school year, even in the wake of its outside charter and diesel costs rising 40 percent in the past year, according to one district official.
"They’re (MUSD) a larger district than ours, and they’re utilizing other funds to make up for their fuel costs," Franco said. "Money is being found elsewhere within their budget."
Pleasanton Unified School District does not charge bus fees either, and no plans are in the making to do so.
Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, recently introduced legislation to provide assistance to school districts dealing with the increased cost of running school buses.
The Gas Price Relief for Schools Act (House Resolution 6596) would provide emergency funding over a two-year period to help public school districts offset increases in school bus transportation costs because of high fuel prices.
"Schools, just as families across the country, are being squeezed by high gas prices," McNerney said via press release. "These costs have cut into their budgets, and school districts have been forced to either reduce or charge for bus service or cut back on other programs."
Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to award grants to state or local governments responsible for providing school bus transportation to a public school system. Grants will be awarded based on how much jurisdictions are hurt by high gas prices. Considerations include whether a public school system has implemented cuts to transportation services, changes in school operations such as a shorter school week, and the distances school buses must travel to transport students.
"It’s a timely bill, and I hope it passes in an expeditious matter so that we forgo any reductions to service and so that we can stop any future rate increases," Franco said.
"It makes sense."
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Too many overweight kids in USA!
Still cheaper than idling car waiting for kids?
-amy