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19th May 2010, 09:43 AM
Douglas County votes to charge fees for school-bus rides
Posted: 05/19/2010
PARKER — Parents in Colorado's third-largest school district are being asked to pay if their kids want to ride the bus to school.
The Douglas County school board voted 5-0 Tuesday night to approve a 50-cent-per-ride transportation fee starting next school year. The decision will affect about 17,000 students who ride the bus this year. The district hopes to raise $2 million with the program.
The buses will have Zonar GPS units to track student ridership. Students will have a card or a ZPass that will track their use of the bus.
Douglas County Schools will have to pay $221,000 in three equal installments over the next three years to fully implement the GPS tracking technology. That cost covers the system as a whole.
"Cost per bus will likely vary, as some may require more updating than others," said Dianna Miguez, communications specialist for Douglas County Schools.
Families who qualify for the National Free and Reduced Lunch Program will not be charged the fee. Students in the Individualized Education Program that requires transportation also will not be charged.
The school board debated the issue for three months until voting Tuesday.
Douglas County Schools is facing $31 million in reductions for the 2010-11 school year. At nearly $16 million, the district says transportation costs make up a large portion of the budget.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15115035
Posted: 05/19/2010
PARKER — Parents in Colorado's third-largest school district are being asked to pay if their kids want to ride the bus to school.
The Douglas County school board voted 5-0 Tuesday night to approve a 50-cent-per-ride transportation fee starting next school year. The decision will affect about 17,000 students who ride the bus this year. The district hopes to raise $2 million with the program.
The buses will have Zonar GPS units to track student ridership. Students will have a card or a ZPass that will track their use of the bus.
Douglas County Schools will have to pay $221,000 in three equal installments over the next three years to fully implement the GPS tracking technology. That cost covers the system as a whole.
"Cost per bus will likely vary, as some may require more updating than others," said Dianna Miguez, communications specialist for Douglas County Schools.
Families who qualify for the National Free and Reduced Lunch Program will not be charged the fee. Students in the Individualized Education Program that requires transportation also will not be charged.
The school board debated the issue for three months until voting Tuesday.
Douglas County Schools is facing $31 million in reductions for the 2010-11 school year. At nearly $16 million, the district says transportation costs make up a large portion of the budget.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15115035