MONROE — More than 300 students who don’t go to their assigned school may lose bus service when the next school year starts in September.
The Monroe School District says 279 bus riders with waivers to attend further away schools within the district. It is concerned these students are arriving 30 to 45 minutes late every day. All told, 322 students use the intra-district bus service, while about 2,700 are bused to their assigned schools.
This bus service costs about $57,600 per year and has been in place more than a decade. The school board has considered eliminating it for years. There are two reasons why the cut may occur: The kids being late for school, and a new funding gap and increased staffing costs. A decision will be made by the end of the school year.
This year, the district’s levy tax rate dropped from $3 per $1,000 in assessed value to the state cap of $1.50 per $1,000, and a state increase of 87 cents has not bridged the gap, said district spokeswoman Tamara Krache.
On top of that, the program incurs extra wear and tear on buses and extra paraeducator time as staff are required to monitor students at bus transfer stops.
Parents are invited to attend a school board meeting Monday, March 11 which will start a half hour early to allow families to share feedback on the intra-district bus program.
Some parents are concerned losing the bus service will impair their children’s education.
The parents say they put their children in different schools for various reasons, whether it’s that they believe certain schools offer better academics or for more convenience.
Mother Stefanie Alfaro said she transferred her daughter to Maltby Elementary School because of a bullying issue. Her daughter’s attendance, grades and engagement at school have all skyrocketed since the switch. Without bus service, she says this would be her daughter’s last year at Maltby.
Kristy Piercy’s two children have used intra-district busing to attend Salem Woods Elementary for a total of nine years. If the buses are canceled, she says she’ll be facing a $330 a month day care bill to make other arrangements for them. She worries about the cost and causing her fourth grade
daughter having to leave friends and teachers she’s known for years.
While many parents are concerned, some say they understand why the district would cancel the intra-district service.
My son “is usually always late to school (and) has to rush getting breakfast and has to take it to class and eat quickly while the class is starting. Also, since he leaves early he is always rushed and sometimes forgets to bring home things or misses getting things for the day,” says Yesica Garcia, whose son attends Chain Lake Elementary. She said she is one of the fortunate parents who could still drive their student to school if bus service was
canceled.
The proposed cancellation of intra-district busing will not affect any other bus service, such as transportation to ROTC programs, busing for homeless students, or busing to the Sno Isle Tech Skills Center, the district confirmed.
The school board will begin its meeting Monday, March 11 at a special time of 5:30 p.m. in the library at Fryelands Elementary School, 15286 Fryelands Blvd. SE in Monroe. The district also welcomes families to email schoolboard@monroe.wednet.edu to provide feedback.
