Glendora Unified School Keeps School Buses Running, For Now

Once upon a time, yellow school buses took students to school and home, but that may become a thing of the past.

School districts across California are grappling with drastic budget reductions, including Governor Jerry Brown’s proposal to cut special education and home-to-school transportation funding.

Arcadia Unified School District charges $80 per semester for students to use their school buses.

In Lake Elsinore, school board officials are considering eliminating the school bus program completely.

While midyear public education cuts have whittled down transportation funding to half of its previous budget this year, Glendora Unified school buses are continuing to run.

At least for now, said Assistant Superintendent Marc Chaldu.

“Fees are kind of questionable at this point in time, so we don’t go that route,” said Chaldu.

Chaldu said donations efforts such as the fundraising organization Foundation for Glendora Unified Schools have kept school transportation services running.

However, future cuts, which would eliminate transportation funding completely, would put school bus programs in danger for the next fiscal year.

Chaldu said the district receives $30,000 to $35,000 in transportation funding.

However, Chaldu said a new bill proposes to cut $40 per ADA instead of cutting transportation specifically.

For Glendora Unified, that proposal would cost the district $300,000.

“It’s devastating enough for us to lose $30,000, but to lose $300,000 that’s much more drastic,” said Chaldu.

Las week, SB 81 – a bill which would restore this year’s school bus funding – passed the state legislature. The governor is expected to sign the bill.

“Anything for the budget in 2012 - 2013 is a bunch of question marks,” said Chaldu. “We’ll have to wait for the governor’s May revise to get a clearer picture of what we’re facing.”