Etiwanda School District cuts busing
RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Etiwanda School District parents will soon be responsible for transporting their children to and from school.
Board members on Thursday voted 4-0 to suspend all busing services affecting about 2,800 students beginning the 2010-11 school year except for special education students and students who are receiving busing services through the Individualized Education Program.
"The message is that parents are going to be responsible to get their child to school safely and the school's responsibility will be to educate them," board president Brynna Cadman said.
Board members on Thursday voted 4-0 to suspend all busing services affecting about 2,800 students beginning the 2010-11 school year except for special education students and students who are receiving busing services through the Individualized Education Program.
"The message is that parents are going to be responsible to get their child to school safely and the school's responsibility will be to educate them," board president Brynna Cadman said.
The district will save $1 million in its general fund budget by stopping busing to 27 routes.
General fund money is used to pay for district certificated employees, such as teachers, counselors and nurses.
In March, the district sent out 87 preliminary layoff notices to certificated employees.
The reduction in busing will help save almost a dozen teaching positions.
The district has a $14.5 million budget gap to close in the next three years. The vote to suspend transportation is one of many solutions that the district will implement to achieve solvency.
Cucamonga School District, also in Rancho Cucamonga, suspended its busing services this school year and plans to also do so in 2010-11.
The suspension of busing is being considered by Central School District.
The choice to suspend busing was not an easy one to make, said Etiwanda school board member David Long, who has grandchildren in the district.
District officials had spent more than two months trying to come up with solutions to prevent any elimination, said Doug Claflin, assistant superintendent of business services.
By Thursday, however, board members had only a couple of alternatives to choose from:
Suspend all busing, except for special education, which saves the district $1 million.
Charge parents $4 per day/per student, or $700 a year, which would save the district about $900,000.
Charge $2 per day/per student, or $350 a year, which would save the district about $500,000.
"This was a tough decision," Long said. "But this could save teacher jobs."
Letters were sent out to parents on Friday notifying them of the changes.
By August, district officials will finishing its plans related to the elimination of busing services, such as crossing guards, traffic control and bus stop patrols. Ways to bring back transportation will also be considered, Claflin said.
Board members on Thursday also approved the reduction of multiple classified personnel - 25 instructional aid positions, one occupational therapist, one child development specialist and the reduction of one occupational therapist from full-time to part-time.
Board member Cecilia Soloria was absent at the meeting.
Etiwanda School District serves more than 12,000 students with schools in Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana.
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