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Report sheds light on bus fee, ad rules

Twelve states allow — and one state mandates — school districts to charge fees for home-to-school transportation, according to a report from the Florida Legislature’s research arm that examines revenue generation. Thirteen states allow advertising on the inside and/or outside of school buses.

December 20, 2011
Report sheds light on bus fee, ad rules

A new report found that 13 states allow advertising on the inside and/or outside of school buses. Pictured is a Houston Independent School District bus with a college ad.

2 min to read


A new report from the Florida Legislature’s research arm delves into revenue generation in school transportation — namely bus fees and advertising — across the U.S.

“Increasingly, states are examining ways to supplement traditional sources of revenue for student transportation,” the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) report notes.

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OPPAGA found that 12 states allow — and one state mandates — school districts to charge fees for home-to-school transportation.

Hawaii is the one state that sets a uniform amount that parents are required to pay for student transportation.

Three of the states that allow school bus fees — California, Iowa and New Jersey — have established a maximum amount that districts can charge parents.

On the topic of advertising, 13 states allow it on the inside and/or outside of school buses, according to the report.

Florida is one of five states that allow ads on the inside of school buses (although the Florida Association for Pupil Transportation said it isn’t aware of any districts in the state that do it) and one of 34 states that prohibit ads on the outside of school buses.

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Earlier this year, the Florida Legislature considered but didn’t pass a bill to allow school bus exterior advertising. There are several such bills in the hopper for the 2012 legislative session, including HB 19.

To view the full OPPAGA report, go here.

 

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