Auburn MA Public School Bus Fee - Update pg 13 #184

[It's A Happy Day]

Last year we entered the public school system with DS6 (now entering 1st grade). The town of Auburn, MA imposed a $100 per student bus fee for any child who resides under 2 miles from the school. MA state law says any child 5th grade or lower and under 2 miles from the school, transportation does have to be provided. I'm not sure how long people have had to pay for public school bussing but this was our 1st encounter. Now I had physically pulled out of our driveway, set the odometer, and driven every direction, method, route possible to the school and the shortest route possible hits exactly 2 miles - other methods including the bus route was way more than 2. But mapquest has us at 1.9 miles and that is the mapping method they use. I had this arguement last year and the superintendant decided that we did meet the rules requirements and gave me the bus pass last year. I was assured at that time (unfortunately now not in writing!) that this would be taken care of while my son remained at that school and we remained at this address. So at the end of last school year, I mailed out the form for both children now (DD is starting kindergarten) and included the map showing us 2 miles from the school and stated on the form that this was taken care of this past year. A co-worker asked if I got my bus passes on Sat. and we did not. Monday, Tuesdays mail came - nothing. So I call the school superintendants office today and they say I will not get the pass unless I pay $200 After I made my arguement and showed up AT THE OFFICE with the map they have stated that they will talk to to "interim" superintendant (last years quit!) and "get back to me"

Thank you for letting me vent....

 

[suew3456]

I feel for you, I have had my share of frustrations with the bureacracy of public schools!

Hoping that things will work out again this year!

 

[grumpy28]

I have never in my life heard of having to pay for public school busing! That is outrageous to me. I hope you are able to get things resolved. I don't know if we are the "norm" or your situation is, but no where in our district has to pay for bussing. We also live quite close to DD school, and I would be appalled to have to shell out $$ for that. Um, hello, tax money!! Good luck resolving this!

 

[cooky11111]

I feel for you, I have had my share of frustrations with the bureacracy of public schools!

Hoping that things will work out again this year!

Yes me too!! They always put my kids on a Handicapp bus and neither one are Handicapp I get made because if they ride the Handicap bus they take them out of school 20-30minutes early. They end up not getting all there homework or they forget something because they are rushed.

 

[java]

In our town if you do not attend the public school you go to the private and are driven- you get a $700 refund on your taxes!
I have never ever heard of such a thing?
Oh but I have heard that schools count that Mileage thing- as the crow flies! Meaning take that map and draw a straight line from the school to your house. That is the way they measure it even though there is no way you could drive that way.
Good luck and really that is nuts.
Oh and where we are they will not even LET the kids walk. One child lives across the street from the school. His mom works so he has to ride the bus. He is on it for 30 minutes!!

 

[KevGuy]

Sorry to hear that. My town, Stoughton, MA also charges like $240 to bus kids to school. I grew up in Boston and never heard of paying for a school bus. But I guess it is different in the burbs we have come to find out. I would suggest going to the next school committee meeting and making some comments, it may not help but it also won't hurt and may give you a platform to speak. Also try to attend the yearly school/town budget meetings and make your feelings known. Our state is horrible IMO. My wife is also in the PTO in my town and let me tell you they have to raise money to get paper to help the school. It is a pretty sad state of affairs given the amount of taxes we all pay and yet everything still goes up or gets a "cost" attached to it that we must pay out of our pockets. I wish our salaries went up as much as some of these things do. Hang in there and good luck!!

 

[disneymom3]

Oh! I would love that $700 credit! I have three homeschooled kids--I'd be raking in the dough.

As for the paying, we have to pay here if it is under two miles also. A friend of mine had to pay even though if her kids walked to school they had to cross over the on ramp and off ramps of a major state highway. Yeah, I can see sending your Kindergartner out to navigate the state highway alone!

 

[XYSRUS]

Oh! I would love that $700 credit! I have three homeschooled kids--I'd be raking in the dough.

As for the paying, we have to pay here if it is under two miles also. A friend of mine had to pay even though if her kids walked to school they had to cross over the on ramp and off ramps of a major state highway. Yeah, I can see sending your Kindergartner out to navigate the state highway alone!

Oh My! And I thought our school was bad. We live in the country and the kids have to walk up the street 3/4mile, in the dark, no street lights, in the snow, we live in the snow belt of the world, and catch the bus on a busy state road that the truckers use for a shortcut to the turnpike! A whole family just got killed on this street 2 yrs. ago and it's like everyone just wants you to forget about that. I'd gladly pay more money if they would just come down our street. I think it's getting crazy.

 

[Arielle22]

I live in Scituate,MA. My dds are in 7th and 8th grade so I pay $450 for their bus. It doesn't bother me too much (except it is due in June when I have several other big bills).

I look at it this way, what I pay in taxes wouldn't cover 1 dd in private school. So rather than wonder where my tax money is going I think of it as a bargain.

There have been well publicized town meetings here on the south shore for overrides to pay for the schools. Scituate just passed one. I have been to town meetings and the climate is brutal. No one wants taxes raised for anything.

 

[It's A Happy Day]

Also try to attend the yearly school/town budget meetings and make your feelings known.

They were missing something like $275,000 either last year or the year before and it got brushed under the table Isn't is great when you have to pay to get your kid there, pay for the classroom supplies - even necessities, pay for afterschool care (thank god we don't need that ), it's no wonder 2 parents HAVE to work.

I just think it's ridiculous that last year we sorted this out and this year it's square 1 again. My children are not dollar signs, they are not to be looked at how much money can I make off them! (or their parents!)

 

[cl1067]

I live in a town in South Dakota of about 7,000 people. Our district is made of young families, and I feel is really good at thinking about how they spend our tax $$ so they have very little problems with bond issues, etc. I graduated from this district and when we moved back into it when our oldest DD was in 2nd grade, they had instituted a pay for a bus pass thing.

It basically came down that our state law leaves up to each district on how to handle in-town bussing. The school district offered either the option of paying for in-town bussing or not offering it all. Our bus passes are $50 per semester if bought before Aug 1/Jan1 and if after that deadline $70 per pass, but it does cap at $150/$210 per family. I personally would rather have the option of paying for it than not having it at all.

Each year there is a handful of families that try to fight having to pay for it, but the school district has basically said they would have to cut other things in order to pay for in town bussing. I frankly would rather pay for in-town bussing than lose out on other programs.

Now, they do waive/reduce the fee for families on the free/reduced lunch program, so as to not put anyone in financial hardship.

I guess to me it is something I pay for convinence. I could get my kids dropped/picked up each day, but I will probably spend more money than I pay in bus passes in gas money, not to mention the aggravation of waiting in line at the school.

 

[BostonTink85]

When I was in public schools, close to 10 years ago now, we walked to the elementary schools - right across the street. But for middle school we payed around 300+ per student - I'm just south of Boston.

 

[Harvest02]

Paying for bussing??? That is insane!!!! My kids live within walking distance from school and they don't charge us!!! Although we do pay textbook fees, which I don't like($300 total this year). Heaven forbid if we had to pay for bussing too!!!

 

[cgcw]

We pay $425 for 1 child. He's 7 and while the school is within walking distance, it's not close enough for him to walk alone. I work from home, so my driving him isn't an option, so we suck it up and pay.

Our bus costs have increased quite a bit since my DS12 started in kindergarten. It's a catch 22 it seems, in that the higher to cost gets, the less people who are willing to pay, the more the rest of us have to pay.

I do know of families who have disagreed with the walking route and we're able to get free busing.

Good luck.

 

[java]

I am really interested in this. Do you pay less in taxes? I am paying $16,000 a year in taxes so I think that is why the bus is covered. But are you also paying big taxes and still having to pay?

 

[tink1978]

I think I would be walking my child to school or driving him myself....that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. It's a public school and state funded...why are they not providing the transportation????

 

[tngramma]

OMG I have never heard of such a thing. MY DS and DD are grown now but even when DGS and DGD come to live us we do not pay for them to ride the bus. We pay county taxes, city taxes, and a wheel tax on our autos. Yes we are taxed to death but what are they for if not for schools and buses?

 

[kykatt2]

YIKES... after reading all of your horror stories.. I hope Virginia does not find out about charging kids to ride the School Bus.
My TAX HAPPY Governor would say.... [I]"yeah... we could give some to the schools and the rest I can use for "Transportation and roads"[/I] He has already thought ( and is charging) "Civil Fees" for 3 years after a Traffic offense was a great way for more $$$$. Anyway... as I digress here... We pay taxes for "Public School" that , In my Opinion, Should ALSO include Free and SAFE Transportation. I wish I felt it was safe enough for the kids to ride their bikes to school. ( In good weather of course)

 

[catycatcat4]

wow people have to pay to ride the bus! here you find your bus you get on in if your not there to bad.

 

[Skatermom23]

YIKES... after reading all of your horror stories.. I hope Virginia does not find out about charging kids to ride the School Bus.
My TAX HAPPY Governor would say.... [I]"yeah... we could give some to the schools and the rest I can use for "Transportation and roads"[/I] He has already thought ( and is charging) "Civil Fees" for 3 years after a Traffic offense was a great way for more $$$$. Anyway... as I digress here... We pay taxes for "Public School" that , In my Opinion, Should ALSO include Free and SAFE Transportation. I wish I felt it was safe enough for the kids to ride their bikes to school. ( In good weather of course)

This was on the table in Stafford County last year but got voted down. They wanted to charge $100 per child with a $200 max cap per family! I don't think they revisited the idea this year. At least I didn't hear anything about it.