BREA : School Bus Fees Part of Budget Cuts

Parents in the Brea-Olinda Unified School District will have to pay for their children to take the bus to school starting this fall as part of an overall budget-trimming plan approved by the district board of trustees this week.

The school board voted Monday night to charge parents $100 for the first student, $75 for the second student and $50 for the third student to a maximum of $225 per family per year in an effort to trim about $1 million from the district’s 1992-93 budget.

“This busing fee won’t be popular, but given the other alternatives I don’t think there are better options,” said Trustee Bernie P. Kilcoyne.

Board members hope that the busing fee will raise $50,000 for their $22-million fiscal 1992 budget. Children eligible for free or reduced school lunches will be exempt from the fee.

Many parents expressed anger over the busing fees, especially those whose children are bused to schools away from their neighborhoods because of overcrowding.

“I don’t think I should pay if my children could walk to school,” said Denise Erwin, who lives within walking distance of Country Hills Elementary School but whose children are bused to Olinda Elementary School.

The board also decided not to replace several retiring teachers, meaning that class size will rise slightly to an average of 32 children per class at the elementary level and 36 children per class in junior high schools. The move is expected to save the district $350,000. Other measures approved by the board Monday include:

* An increase in the extracurricular activity and athletic bus fee from $35 to $40, which is expected to raise $4,000.

* Increasing extended-day-care rates by $5 per week.

* Deferring $70,000 worth of school maintenance.

* Laying off one member of the district’s maintenance staff, saving $40,000.

* Reducing substitute teacher costs by $21,000.

Another measure voted on Monday night will end the practice of allowing juniors and seniors at Brea-Olinda High School to leave the campus on their lunch break.

Board members hope that the additional students buying lunch at the school will raise $10,000, but many students have complained that cafeterias are already overcrowded and suggested that they may choose not to buy lunch.

The board voted to defer a decision on reducing the hours of the district’s library aides and eliminating the boys sophomore basketball team at Brea Olinda High until they find out if they lose any money from the state as it struggles to bring its own budget into balance.

“This is real painful,” said school board President Lynn Daucher. “Nobody enjoys thinking about what is going to happen next year.”