Published: Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Everett School Board votes to cut bus service
EVERETT — Bus service for between 1,200 and 1,400 Everett School District students was cut Tuesday evening after the district's board approved a new budget.
The board voted 4-0 to approve the 2010-2011 budget, halting bus service for most homes within a one-mile radius of schools.
The cut was triggered mostly by the continuing slide in state funding and other rising costs. Reduced bus service may save the district more than $400,000 as it trims about $3.7 million from its 2010-2011 budget.
“The big challenge here is if we're going to keep getting kids educated, we have to find ways to balance our budget,” board President Ed Petersen said.
Board member Carol Andrews was absent from the meeting.
Board member Jessica Olson voted for the budget, but voted against a policy change connected to bus service. That change was approved 3-1. Olson said she wanted to have more information on how the loss of buses will affect individual streets.
“I'm a little uncomfortable with this,” Olson said.
District officials said they are putting that information together, and will reach out to all affected households in the coming weeks.
A form letter may go in the mail on Thursday. It will be followed later this month by a personalized letter with a walking route, the creation of a way to contest the change and, by August, the launch of a Web site that provides transit information to households.
“We know that with so many new walkers, families will be concerned about the safety of their students,” district Facilities Director Mike Gunn said.
Two mothers attended the board meeting to express worries about traffic, sex offenders and their own work schedules.
Galen Rainwater, 37, said her daughter will start kindergarten this year at Jackson Elementary School. Without a bus, the single mother may leave the district, though. She won't be able to drive her daughter to school without putting her job at risk, she said.
“I'm considering the home-schooling option, which is not my preferred method,” she said.
Right now, the state pays for bus service to homes outside a one-mile radius of schools. The district has picked up the tab for many students living inside that circle.
The change will find the district taking seven buses off the roads as it reworks routes, ending most service within that one-mile radius.
Under the plan, the number of kids on buses may drop by about 12 percent. About 18,400 students go to school in Everett. Nearly half take a bus.
Everett isn't the first to adopt transit changes. Similar reductions have taken place across the state, including in the Edmonds School District. A nearly identical cut to bus service was adopted there last year.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455; arathbun@heraldnet.com.
The board voted 4-0 to approve the 2010-2011 budget, halting bus service for most homes within a one-mile radius of schools.
The cut was triggered mostly by the continuing slide in state funding and other rising costs. Reduced bus service may save the district more than $400,000 as it trims about $3.7 million from its 2010-2011 budget.
“The big challenge here is if we're going to keep getting kids educated, we have to find ways to balance our budget,” board President Ed Petersen said.
Board member Carol Andrews was absent from the meeting.
Board member Jessica Olson voted for the budget, but voted against a policy change connected to bus service. That change was approved 3-1. Olson said she wanted to have more information on how the loss of buses will affect individual streets.
“I'm a little uncomfortable with this,” Olson said.
District officials said they are putting that information together, and will reach out to all affected households in the coming weeks.
A form letter may go in the mail on Thursday. It will be followed later this month by a personalized letter with a walking route, the creation of a way to contest the change and, by August, the launch of a Web site that provides transit information to households.
“We know that with so many new walkers, families will be concerned about the safety of their students,” district Facilities Director Mike Gunn said.
Two mothers attended the board meeting to express worries about traffic, sex offenders and their own work schedules.
Galen Rainwater, 37, said her daughter will start kindergarten this year at Jackson Elementary School. Without a bus, the single mother may leave the district, though. She won't be able to drive her daughter to school without putting her job at risk, she said.
“I'm considering the home-schooling option, which is not my preferred method,” she said.
Right now, the state pays for bus service to homes outside a one-mile radius of schools. The district has picked up the tab for many students living inside that circle.
The change will find the district taking seven buses off the roads as it reworks routes, ending most service within that one-mile radius.
Under the plan, the number of kids on buses may drop by about 12 percent. About 18,400 students go to school in Everett. Nearly half take a bus.
Everett isn't the first to adopt transit changes. Similar reductions have taken place across the state, including in the Edmonds School District. A nearly identical cut to bus service was adopted there last year.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455; arathbun@heraldnet.com.
Story tags »
• Everett School DistrictNext steps
Thursday: The Everett School District mails a form letter to parents, explaining the basic changes.
End of July: The district sends personalized letters with individual walking routes to affected homes.
Mid-August: Postcards with details on bus routes, pickup times and drop-off times are mailed. The district also will launch a website, allowing homes to pull up personalized information on transit.
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