Ohio school board preserves bus funds, looks elsewhere for savings
STEWART, Ohio — The Federal Hocking Local School Board has rejected a cost-saving proposal that would have changed the district’s busing system, citing safety and convenience concerns. Under the proposed busing system, high school students would have been required to walk up to 2 miles to a designated pick-up spot, and some elementary school students would not arrive home until 6:30 p.m. To read the full story, click here.

North Carolina county to test drive seat belts
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — The Cumberland County School System will take part in a pilot program to study the effectiveness of seat belts on school buses. An official said a recent bus crash prompted the schools to take part in the study. To read the full story, click here.

Transportation director monitors bus speed with radar gun
RICHMOND, Ky. — Skip Benton, director of transportation for the Madison County School District for the past nine years and a former state policeman, has begun using a radar gun to track the speed of school buses after receiving complaints about buses driving fast. To read the full story, click here.

Indiana property tax plan could impact school transportation budgets
INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Mitch Daniels' property tax relief plan includes a proposal to take over $495 million in annual school transportation costs. Since 2003, local districts have used property taxes to fund the budgets for school bus operations and could increase the local levy by up to 5 percent a year without special permission from the state. To read the full story, click here.