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School District officials say they may reverse a decision made in March to begin charging families for school bus transportation.
During tonight’s Consolidated Community School District 181 committee of the whole meeting the school board said it would reconsider a policy requiring students to pay to take school buses if they live less than 1.5 miles from their schools.
According to the state, school districts must provide free bus transportation for children living more than 1.5 miles from their respective schools, but District 181 for years has provided free bus transportation for students living more than one mile from school.
The board said it will review at the next regular business meeting its existing policy approved in March calling for revising its long-standing policy to align itself with the state’s 1.5-mile requirement, a decision expected to save the district an estimated $85,000..
Board members called the march decision a mistake after receiving complaints from several district parents affected by the decision.
“The old policy worked for decades,” said Roseanne Rosenthal, board member, before the board took a straw poll to determine its next course of action.
Because the board amended its transportation policy in March, it must place the issue on its next agenda before voting on it at a subsequent board meeting, officials said.
If it does reverse its transportation policy, the board also will have to identify how it plans to make up the $85,000 budget gap, said Board President Linda Rio Reichmann.
The board may discuss its options at the next board meeting, scheduled for June 28.
School District officials say they may reverse a decision made in March to begin charging families for school bus transportation.
During tonight’s Consolidated Community School District 181 committee of the whole meeting the school board said it would reconsider a policy requiring students to pay to take school buses if they live less than 1.5 miles from their schools.
According to the state, school districts must provide free bus transportation for children living more than 1.5 miles from their respective schools, but District 181 for years has provided free bus transportation for students living more than one mile from school.
The board said it will review at the next regular business meeting its existing policy approved in March calling for revising its long-standing policy to align itself with the state’s 1.5-mile requirement, a decision expected to save the district an estimated $85,000..
Board members called the march decision a mistake after receiving complaints from several district parents affected by the decision.
“The old policy worked for decades,” said Roseanne Rosenthal, board member, before the board took a straw poll to determine its next course of action.
Because the board amended its transportation policy in March, it must place the issue on its next agenda before voting on it at a subsequent board meeting, officials said.
If it does reverse its transportation policy, the board also will have to identify how it plans to make up the $85,000 budget gap, said Board President Linda Rio Reichmann.
The board may discuss its options at the next board meeting, scheduled for June 28.
