HUNTINGTON BEACH
Most parents aren’t thrilled with the Huntington Beach City School District’s proposal to charge students for riding the bus, but those who attended an informational meeting Tuesday now know why the district can’t make ends meet. “I came into this thinking, ‘I don’t want to pay something,’ but the issues they are dealing with are legitimate,” said Agnes L. Smith Elementary School parent Patty Evans, one of about 30 residents who attended the meeting.
The staff is considering whether to establish a fee for its 1,200 bus riders because the district is spending about $140,000 more than what the state provides for bus transportation. Nearby Fountain Valley and Newport-Mesa districts charge $1 a day.
Although the fee proposal is still being researched, the charge would probably be less than $1 and would begin Jan. 3 if it’s approved, said Jerry Buchanan, assistant superintendent of administrative services. The district plans to hold another informational meeting in late July or early August.
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