Idea To Cut Bus Service Worries Parents

It's a quick ride in a car - or a bus.

But the 1.6 miles between the entrance of the Spring Ridge subdivision on Sunshine Grove Road and the front door of Pine Grove Elementary school is quite a hike.

The distance, however, is not Myndee Washington's biggest concern when it comes to the prospect of her two sons walking to and from school.

"There's no sidewalk," Washington said as she waited for her sons' bus Tuesday afternoon. "There's not even a shoulder. It's very unsafe."

Walking to school isn't an option for Vicki Geelen's son Bradley. The Geelens live about four miles away from Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics and the family business is in Hudson - in the opposite direction - so Bradley takes the bus.

"We rely on that service," Geelen said.

Washington and Geelen are among hundreds of parents in the county worried about suggestions by Superintendent Wayne Alexander to scale back bus services to save money in the face of worsening budget woes.

Under one idea, the district would stop transporting students who live within two miles of their school. That could save as much as $1.9 million in the first year, according to a proposal Alexander submitted to the school board this month.

Another strategy would eliminate bus service for students at the district's three magnet schools. That would save more than $835,000 in a year.

And a third suggestion would eliminate the district's so-called activity bus that provides transportation to students who stay after school for sports, clubs and other activities. The estimated savings: about $106,000 annually.

The ideas are among more than two dozen Alexander is floating to plug a roughly $25 million hole in the school budget. The board is slated to discuss the proposals at a workshop slated for noon on Monday, Feb. 23.

Alexander was out sick Wednesday and unavailable for comment. He told Hernando Today last week he wanted to give the board all possible options for this year and to help prepare for next year when the district's financial picture could be even worse.

Alexander said he submitted the possible cost saving strategies with the idea "the classroom is sacred" and with the hope to avoid job cuts.

Thousands Of Families Affected

While cutting bus service would not affect classroom resources, the move would upset the daily routines of hundreds of families, according to the district's most recent transportation statistics.

Of the roughly 14,690 Hernando public school students who take the bus, about 2,400 live within two miles of school, said Linda Smith, transportation director.

The district provides bus service to about 2,160 students at the three magnet schools, Chocachatti Elementary School for the Arts, Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics and Nature Coast Technical High School.

Eliminating the activity bus would have a relatively minimal impact, Alexander told the board. The bus saw an average ridership of 14 students per day across all schools between August and December.

The district spends an average of $790 per bussed student each year, Smith said. That includes the cost of fuel, bus drivers, vehicle maintenance and replacement and administrative salaries, among other expenses.

Of the 67 school districts in the state, about 25 provide bussing for students who live within two miles of school, or what school transportation officials call "courtesy bussing," Smith said.

Alexander also presented the board with other options. The school district could cut bussing for students who live between one and two miles from school for a savings of $1.45 million; within one mile for a savings of $396,000; or within a half mile of school to save nearly $60,000.

Many school districts are grappling with the same questions, Smith said. She attended a conference for transportation directors in Tallahassee last week and there was much commiserating, she said.

"We're all in the same boat," she said. "I don't envy the school board members."

Families such as the Washingtons see the two-mile bus service as more than a courtesy. For them, it's essential.

The Washingtons have one car, which Myndee's husband Jim uses each morning to get to work.

There will be many other parents who rely on bus service in the same situation who fear sending their children walking along roadways, Myndee Washington said.

"You can't put the kids at risk," she said. "That can't be an option."

Vicki Geelen of Spring Hill said her family would be forced to "make it work" if the bus service for the magnet schools ended.

"It would be a hardship," she said. Geelen also pointed out eliminating the service would mean more traffic during pick-up and drop-off times at Challenger, which she described as "already a nightmare."

Alexander told school board members if bus service is scaled back, the district would likely have to add crossing guards at dangerous intersections close to schools.

Board member Pat Fagan agreed that bussing is a safety issue and that he would be reluctant to scale back the service.

"I believe that the safety of the child is of utmost importance to the school system, and I don't want to do anything unless it's absolutely necessary to make changes to transportation," Fagan said.

School board Chairwoman Dianne Bonfield agreed, saying said she would be unlikely to support cuts except as a last resort. Bonfield's family benefited from courtesy bussing when her children attended Fox Chapel Middle School.

"They rode a bus and I was grateful because I was worried about them crossing Deltona Boulevard," Bonfield said.

Bus service, by the numbers

•Students in district who use bus service: 14,691.

•Students who ride bus and live within two miles of school: 2,417.

•Number of magnet school students who ride the bus: 2,160.

•Average total number of students who use activity bus each day: 14.

•Average bussing costs per child: $790 per year.

Source: Hernando Schools Transportation Department.