Simi School Panel to Discuss Charging for Busing Service : Education: Board will also debate moving athletics from sixth period to after school so players can be charged for out-of-town games.

Faced with the need to cut $2.5 million from next year’s budget, Simi Valley school board members tonight will discuss becoming the second district in Ventura County to charge parents for home-to-school busing.

Under the plan, parents would pay $300 per year to bus one child and $200, $100 and $50 for subsequent children. The move would reduce busing’s nearly $500,000 drain on the general fund by $194,250, officials said.

The transportation fees will be considered among several proposed changes. Another significant proposal would move athletics from sixth period to after school so officials could legally charge those students extra for transportation to out-of-town games.

Removing varsity sports from the regular school day would save the district $175,000 in teacher costs. Requiring parents or booster clubs to pay for extracurricular busing would shave another $98,500, officials said.

Board members have been holding special budget meetings in the last few months to come up with reductions that a majority could support. More proposals will be brought to regular board meetings as they are hashed out, officials said.

“Basically, we’re taking it in bite-size pieces,” said board member Judy Barry.

The district needs to cut about $2.5 million to refill its empty savings account and balance next year’s general fund budget at $77.1 million. Reserves have been depleted because the state has not granted cost-of-living increases for four years, officials said.

“These are difficult choices to make, but it’s a matter of determining priorities,” Supt. Mary Beth Wolford said. “We would like to keep doing all of the things we’re doing now, but we can’t. That’s where the frustration comes in.”

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If the board agrees on cuts tonight, the proposals would be brought back for a formal vote at the next regular meeting Feb. 1, said Assistant Supt. Ralph Wilson. He said anyone interested in the budget cuts up for review is encouraged to speak to the board tonight, Wilson said.

“This board discussion is basically to give the community a chance to react a little bit,” Wilson said.

Other cuts up for review would eliminate the student welfare and attendance counselor, a position created this school year to work with students who have unexcused absences or are on the brink of dropping out. The cut would save $61,456.

Another proposal would cut teacher advisers, who spend one or two class periods a day working with students showing behavioral problems. If all teacher advisers positions were eliminated, the district would save about $400,000.

If the transportation fees are approved, officials estimate that ridership would drop from 1,439 students to 1,150 as parents choose to car-pool or find less expensive alternatives to busing. However, a survey several months ago did not show significant community opposition to busing fees, officials said.

If too few students pay to ride the bus, officials might have to consider eliminating transportation, said board member Doug Crosse.

“We’re doing this as a first step,” Crosse said.

School districts are mandated to bus special education students to school. In addition, officials say a legal challenge to bus fees for athletes could be made if sports stays part of the regular school day, Wolford said.

Students could argue that they cannot be charged for bus trips to athletic games because they are entitled to a free public education in all subject areas studied during school hours, Wolford said.

The Conejo Valley Unified School District is the only other school system in the county to charge parents for bus transportation.

Additional cuts are being explored in negotiations with various employee groups, including early retirement and a cap on overtime, Wolford said. Future proposals could call for reducing office workers at junior high and high schools; lowering salaries and cutting counselors and psychologists.