CA schools to end/reduce bus services

[BeerMan]

For those who have kids in CA schools, this is a must read:
California school districts ending or reducing bus service for students - Los Angeles Times

this is not going to be good at all if Sacramento doesn't do something about it.

[King Ludwig]

Seems like the school districts still have sour grapes from too many rides on the short bus...

[Crusader Knight]

Why doesn't California mandate buses anyway? They should mandate rides for every student outside of a mile from school. All they're doing is passing the costs on to everyone else. More parents, as a result, are going to buy cars for their teenage kids that happen to be junkers both unsafe and pollutant on top of the other problems listed in the article. And more teens having more cars mean they would be more apt to drive places other than just school.

All of this would raise gas prices and insurance rates due to more drivers being on the road and presumably and likely more accidents.But at least the school district gets to save a buck yet the citizens will be paying the same anyway if not more.

[mudfisher]

I walked to school from k-1 through senior in high school..These fat kids can walk to.

[ianmonsta]

Originally Posted by mudfisher

I walked to school from k-1 through senior in high school..These fat kids can walk to.

ditto and agreed, except i skateboarded throughout middleschool and high school.

[StoneGK]

Originally Posted by Crusader Knight

Why doesn't California mandate buses anyway? They should mandate rides for every student outside of a mile from school. All they're doing is passing the costs on to everyone else. More parents, as a result, are going to buy cars for their teenage kids that happen to be junkers both unsafe and pollutant on top of the other problems listed in the article. And more teens having more cars mean they would be more apt to drive places other than just school.

All of this would raise gas prices and insurance rates due to more drivers being on the road and presumably and likely more accidents.But at least the school district gets to save a buck yet the citizens will be paying the same anyway if not more.

It'd be a lot cheaper, and a lot safer, if parents just bought them a bus pass instead. Same idea, different bus, that's all.

[Cross Traffic]

Used the bus from K-4, the school was 2/3rds of a mile from our house, but we were the 2nd to last stop on the way back (leave school at 2:15, arrive at our house around 2:55). Took 20 minutes walking and not being stuck in a big iron lung without A/C.

[Dana]

Originally Posted by Crusader Knight

Why doesn't California mandate buses anyway? They should mandate rides for every student outside of a mile from school. All they're doing is passing the costs on to everyone else. More parents, as a result, are going to buy cars for their teenage kids that happen to be junkers both unsafe and pollutant on top of the other problems listed in the article. And more teens having more cars mean they would be more apt to drive places other than just school.

All of this would raise gas prices and insurance rates due to more drivers being on the road and presumably and likely more accidents.But at least the school district gets to save a buck yet the citizens will be paying the same anyway if not more.

The problem is that if schools don't pass the costs on, they're going to have to cut funding from other areas to pay for the higher transportation costs. Would you rather have a school bus come pick up your kids at the corner or would you rather have to drive your child to school where he or she will continue to have access to things like a fully-staffed library or computer lab, music program, and art program?

California is near the bottom in things like funding per pupil and schools do not have enough librarians and guidance counselors for students and I haven't even mentioned overcrowded classrooms. School funding is a mess. Unfortunately, a lot of school funding is considered categorical and cannot be shifted to other areas. If you get money for special ed students, you cannot take it to pay for school buses for kids, etc.

[FlyBoeingJets]

Originally Posted by mudfisher

I walked to school from k-1 through senior in high school..These fat kids can walk to.

Yep. And if I wasn't walking, I was riding the skateboard or bike.

And I wonder what this is going to do to the mandatory busing that the inner-city kids go through to get them out to schools in the Valley?

[TONGA]

Most schools don't have a nurse on site everyday anymore either. With that many people in any given location someone is going to be getting hurt or become sick daily. It's an unsafe situation because of lack of funds.

Yet we can still pay actors $20 million for a movie or athletes that much to play a game. I know it entertainment and all but we've got it a bit backwards here in America and we'll be paying the price for generations.

[spjon25]

Originally Posted by Crusader Knight

Why doesn't California mandate buses anyway? They should mandate rides for every student outside of a mile from school. All they're doing is passing the costs on to everyone else. More parents, as a result, are going to buy cars for their teenage kids that happen to be junkers both unsafe and pollutant on top of the other problems listed in the article. And more teens having more cars mean they would be more apt to drive places other than just school.

All of this would raise gas prices and insurance rates due to more drivers being on the road and presumably and likely more accidents.But at least the school district gets to save a buck yet the citizens will be paying the same anyway if not more.

Bussing all of the students who live ore than a mile away is kind of a dumb idea. Like the others have said let the kids ride a bike etc. If they live outside of 2 miles, ...well that may be a different story, but a mile is ridiculous

[BeerMan]

coming from someone whose only time on the bus was during the kindergarten and 1st grade years, and has slight recollections of those rides at all, I wish I could provide a more realistic opinion on this matter.

other than those two years, I've biked, walked, and carpooled to schools everyday, but only because the bus service was not an available option for me, which did not help the sanity of my parents for the sake of my safety. given that, I would be sitting on the fence on two things:

- walking and biking mean more exercises and better self-control and independence whereas the bus does not do so, although the risk of injuries from getting hit by a car, running into a storm drain or falling off onto the curb, etc., greatly increases.

- riding the carpool and bus provide more security, although problems do arise such as unchecked bullying, fighting, mischievous manners, etc., that occur in the buses on a daily basis across America. nevermind that many of the buses are not equipped with seatbelts.