School Busing a New Budget Battleground
By RORY DEVINE and ERIC S. PAGE
Updated 8:17 PM PST, Tue, Mar 24, 2009
Parents, teachers and students angered by the loss of buses to take children to magnet schools in are taking their case to the San Diego Unified School Board.
They want the school board to reconsider the cuts to the transportation program.
There are 36 magnet schools in the district. The board is hoping to save $10.5 million by cutting the buses.
Parent Bey-Ling Sha said she does not believe the amount the district would save is that high and that she hopes the board will rethink its decision.
Parents from the Language Academy in the College area said that 57 percent of the school's students take the bus and that half of them also get free or reduced-price lunches. They said many children would not be able to get to the school and that the Language Academy could close as a result.
Chief School Officer Rick Cansdale said parents needed to be more creative about getting their children to school, perhaps considering car-pooling or taking public transportation.
Critics of the plan are expected to address the board Tuesday during an afternoon meeting.
First Published: Mar 24, 2009 4:03 PM PST
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