SIMI VALLEY : School Board Will Study Busing Fees
Simi Valley school board members have decided to gather more information before deciding whether to charge parents for school bus transportation.
In delaying the decision, board members this week asked Simi Valley Unified School District officials to study the effect of a bus fee on families. The board also asked for a survey of districts that already charge fees to determine how much they charge and whether attendance has been affected.
A recent state Supreme Court decision declared that school districts could charge parents to bus their children to school without violating their constitutional rights to a free education.
District staff members will report back to the school board in October, Supt. Robert W. Purvis said.
Of the school district’s $1.6-million transportation budget, which includes staff support costs, $469,748 in general fund money is spent to make up for a lack of state funds, officials said.
A survey conducted last May showed that 25% of the parents of Simi Valley children who ride buses to school would be willing to pay for the service. However, 35% of those willing to pay said that $140 to $160 per student per year was too much.
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