Recent Buffalo News and LUSJ articles reported on the school budget process.
An interesting quote was:
“We need to align our costs to what taxpayers can afford,” resident Glen Miller said.
The district’s state aid was reduced by 9.7 percent for 2010-11, and school officials are looking to taxpayers and reserve funds to make up for the shortfall.
One thing Miller said he would like to see is a reduction to the $30,000 cost per child for transportation. District officials did not have an answer for him.$30,000 dollars per child for transportation? I'm assuming it is a typo of some sort as that would mean an overall cost of $155 million when the school budget is $77 million. but, it does leave me curious as to the cost of transportation for the students and how those costs compare to having neighborhood schools with children not needing transportaion.
4 comments:
This is no typo. One of the unfunded mandates the state has impossed is the McKenny/Vento mandate which directs the local school district to provide transportation to homeless children up to 50 miles. Currently 30 children are using the program at a cost of $145. per day/per child. This is $4,350/day; $21,750/week; $870,000 per year based on 40 weeks. This is almost $30,ooo per year for each of the 30 students bused!
$145 a day per student! UNBELIEVABLE! Wouldn't a taxi be cheaper??
How is this even possible? A taxi WOULD be cheaper.
Thank you for the additional detail Glen. My follow up question is why would these kids be outside the normal Lockport bus routes? If they are in other districts, why do they no attend those districts?
Maybe I should start my own transport business? ;)
If you post your knowledge elsewhere please let me know and I'll link to it. If not I'd welcome you to post here as it would be nice to have someone who follows the school budget more closely to lead discussion on the topic.
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