NEWPORT BEACH : Trustees Approve School Bus Fees

Students attending schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District will need to pay for bus rides to and from school next year under a plan approved by the school board this week.

The trustees voted unanimously to reinstate a fee-based bus system, eliminating free rides as the district grapples with an anticipated $3.6-million budget deficit.

The board had discussed reducing the number of bus stops as an alternative cost-saving measure, but decided this would be too big an inconvenience for relatively little financial gain.

The district hopes to generate $225,000 in bus fees during the 1991-92 school year for the district’s budget.

Reduced rates and free passes will be available to low-income families that apply for the discounts at their children’s schools.

Under the new policy, families with one or two students will pay $150 annually or, if payment is made in installments, $80 per semester or $40 per quarter.

The rate for a third child is $80 per year, $40 per semester or $20 per quarter. Families with more than three children need pay no additional charge.

The rates are nearly the same as those charged in the Irvine Unified and Saddleback Unified districts.

Families may qualify for reduced prices or free rides if they make less money than average household incomes for the area. For example, a family of four would qualify if the household income is less than $24,790 annually.