THOUSAND OAKS : School Busing Effort Still Losing Money

The Thousand Oaks school board is poised to consider dismantling its fee-supported busing program after a report showed that it is still losing money, though not as much as last year.

After hearing a status report at Thursday night’s meeting, board member Bill Henry asked staff members to return with a list of options, including eliminating home-to-school transportation altogether.

Henry has said he does not want to put dollars into buses at a time when educational programs are in jeopardy. But board member Richard Newman said there are costs to cutting busing.

Newman said parents of athletes would have to pay two-thirds more to lease buses for out-of-town games. Also, educational field trips would cost the district an extra $27,000 per year, officials said.

“If you cut one, you’re raising the cost of the other,” Newman argued.

The Conejo Valley Unified School District last year became the first in Ventura County to charge parents for a bus pass. After the program lost money, officials lowered the price this year in hopes of attracting more riders.

Initial estimates showed busing lost $130,000 last year. But with state subsidies, that figure has since dropped to about $62,000, Assistant Supt. Sarah Hart said. With current ridership, the district is expecting to subsidize busing this year by about $47,000, Hart said.

Board member Dorothy Beaubien said Friday she does not believe the panel will vote to disband busing when the issue comes to a vote Nov. 23.

“I think busing will work if we give it an opportunity to work,” Beaubien said.