Louisiana School System Sees Budget Cuts, Reduces Bus Routes

LAFAYETTE, La. — A school system here plans to cut 23 bus routes this summer in response to transportation budget cuts, The Advertiser reports.

The Lafayette Parish School System school board voted last week to cut $1.75 million from the transportation budget, which had been at about $15.5 million, according to the newspaper.

Joe Craig, the district’s chief administrative officer, told The Advertiser that the school district’s transportation personnel are using a new software program to create routes based on student populations, and will limit the number of available stops. That may mean that there will be fewer stops for students who attend Schools of Choice academies, and students who live out of zone, Craig said. Additionally, new school attendance zones may result in fewer routes for non-academy students, and may have students attending schools closer to their homes, according to the newspaper.

The school board also said in a recent budget meeting that they want to continue discussing recommendations for reducing transportation costs, The Advertiser reports.

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