The California Assembly voted today to restore $248 million in school bus funding to California public schools. The bill, SB 81, passed by a vote of 60 – 5.
The bill passed on the Senate Floor 26-8 Thursday following the Assembly vote, and is now on its way to Gov. Jerry Brown. Once signed it would go into effect immediately, according to a press release by Assembly member Luis Alejo (D-Salinas) of the 28th district.
In December, Gov. Brown initiated a series of budget trigger cuts after state revenues came in below expectations, which cut home to school transportation by $248 million. That translated into a 50 percent reduction for the Morgan Hill Unified School District.
MHUSD set aside $750,000 in preparation for the trigger cut in the 2011-12 budget, the full amount of $750,000 that was eventually slashed, and put into affect in January 2012.
For the 2012-13 MHUSD budget, a 100 percent cut to transportation is proposed in the Governor’s budget, which translates to a loss of $1.5 million for the district. In the Governor’s May Revise Budget, MHUSD will find out more details if that cut will still go through.
The restoration of funds through SB81 would only protect the transportation system until the end of this school year.
MHUSD covers an area of 300 square miles, an area that deputy superintendent Bonnie Tognazzini has been known to say is larger than other districts in the county.
The district has been charging for their bus services for the last 15 years, with rates ranging as high as $680 for an annual pass for three children, or $310 for an annual fee for one student. The program also allows qualifying families to receive free and reduced services, similar to the school lunch program.
SB 81 saves school busing by equitably distributing a small cut across all public schools in California, instead of a single large cut to the bus program. The bill has no additional cost to the state.
