EVERETT — As many as 1,400 students may lose bus service this fall as the Everett School District deals with a $3.7 million drop in state funding.
Seven buses could come off the road. Most homes within a one-mile radius of schools will lose their stop.
District officials say the plan could save more than $400,000 in a tight year. The Everett School Board may formalize the cut on Tuesday afternoon as it considers approving its 2010-2011 budget.
“I’m pretty confident this is the right package for us at the right time,” School Board President Ed Petersen said.
Some parents disagree.
Jenifer Tuttle said her two children may lose their stop. She worries about putting young students along busy roads during dark winter mornings.
“There are a lot of parents that are really up in arms,” said Tuttle, who is a Jackson Elementary School PTA member.
Tuttle wants other options to be explored, but district officials say they need to make tough decisions.
Changes to bus service are part of a broader package that will shave $3.7 million out of the district’s proposed $185.5 million general fund. The cuts were recommended by the district’s fiscal advisory council, a group of 18 staff members, parents and students.
The proposed cuts go beyond buses.
About 25 teaching positions may go black, saving $2.3 million through attrition, retirements and resignations. Support staff expenses may drop by $460,000. Software license fees face a $150,000 snip.
Buses are of particular concern, however. The state pays for service to households outside a one-mile radius of schools, but Everett has picked up many students inside the circle.
Roughly half of Everett’s 18,400 students took buses last year. Under the plan, the number of kids on buses is expected to drop by more than 12 percent, or between 1,200 and 1,400 students.
Still, Everett isn’t the first district to cut bus service.
“That’s very typical of what we’re seeing across the state,” said Allan Jones, director of student transportation for the state superintendent’s office.
For instance, the Edmonds School District last year adopted a plan virtually identical to Everett’s. It cut back on service in the area not covered by the state, saving about $250,000, Edmonds School District spokeswoman DJ Jakala said.
Everett School District officials sent home a form letter home in May, notifying parents about potential changes.
If they lose a stop, they’ll be sent a map with a suggested walking route, district facilities director Mike Gunn said.
More crossing guards may be added along hazardous streets, Gunn said. Parents also will be able to contest the loss of a stop, but will need to show that state safety recommendations aren’t being met.
“That’s all coming together still,” Gunn said.
With information still going out, some households have been rattled by the changes.
Renee Raymond’s two grandchildren live with her, attending Lowell Elementary School. After she read about the change, she wrote the district, expressing concerns about sexual predators and busy streets.
The district told her she won’t lose service because of safety issues in her neighborhood.
Raymond, 53, was relieved. Still, she questions the cuts. She used to walk a mile to school, but times have changed.
“We didn’t have the issues and concerns that we have now,” she said.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455; arathbun@heraldnet.com
Bus cuts in Everett
The Everett School Board may cut bus service as part of its 2010-2011 budget. The board will consider adopting the budget at its 4:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday at the Educational Service Center, 4730 Colby Ave.
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