Proposal would allow Ill. districts to charge bus fees
The Illinois State Board of Education is expected to draft a bill that would eliminate the requirement for public school districts to transport students and base state-to-district reimbursements on an average per-student or per-mile rate. Districts could charge parents a fee to make up the difference between the state reimbursement and the actual cost of transporting students.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has proposed eliminating the requirement for public school districts to transport students, The State Journal-Register reports.
The proposal, which would also change the way reimbursements from the state to school districts are determined, is being made in response to the reduction in state funding for transportation in recent years. Reimbursements would be based on an average per-student or per-mile rate if the proposal becomes law. Districts would be allowed to charge parents a fee to make up the difference between the state reimbursement and the actual cost of transporting students.
Since 2009, funding for education transportation has dropped from $339.5 million to $205.8 million, ISBE spokesman Matt Vanover told the newspaper. Currently, districts are required under state law to offer free transportation to students who live at least a mile and a half away from their school, or who live closer but cannot walk safely to school.
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