The school board just voted to scrap the two hundred dollar bus fee. This win belongs to every family who refused to accept this unfair double tax. Keep an eye on our next school board meeting to ensure they stick to this new policy.
November 6, 2015
Outrageous "Ineligible" School Bus Fee-- Where is our $200 per kid going??
Final supporters
Park City School District (PCSD) school kids who are considered "ineligible" for school bus transportation cannot ride the public school bus unless you pay $200 PER child. "Ineligible" kids are considered those that live within a 1.5 mile radius of the school they are attending.
When asked what the $200 per child fee is used for, the answer was that it goes into a pot for under-funded programs which means any program not just transportation. The $200 per child fee is not going to add more buses or routes because your "ineligible" kid gets on a space-available already allocated bus heading to their respective school. This means you pay $200 per child for a seat that would go unused regardless if your child sits in it or not.
According to the Utah Department of Education, PCSD has not asked for additional school buses in more than 4 years. Further more when asked where does funding of buses come from, the answer given was that it's a combination of state funds and PC resident property tax. So not only do "ineligible" families pay property tax, we're double fined because our children live within the 1.5 miles radius.
In academic year 2014-2105 the state reimbursed PSCD 68% of its transportation budget.
Additionally, the $200 fee may be unfeasible to some families for various reasons (family with 3+ kids) which leads to congestion, increase safety concerns for children who are dropped off/picked up, and finally it adds to the pollution problem.
If you would like to attend to discuss this issue and attempt to reduce the ridiculous $200 per child fee for a space that is already available, I encourage you to attend (20 Oct, 5:15pm at the Park City School District Office, 2700 Kearns Blvd.). If you're interested in signing a petition to at least reduce the fee, please do so.
We should not be satisfied with the answer of "well it's always been that way." Just because something "has always been that way" doesn't make it right.
Thank you for your time.
Updates
October 28, 2015
The district claims these fees pay for under-funded programs but they cannot explain why parents must pay for empty seats on existing routes. Email your school board representative today to demand a full audit of this budget. We need to force transparency regarding where our property tax dollars are actually going.
October 28, 2015
We hit a real turning point today and the district is finally starting to feel the pressure of our collective frustration. Now head to the school board website to email your representative and demand they explain exactly where this transport tax is going.
Reached 100 supporters
October 28, 2015
46 Comments
It seems this hardship ends up falling in families who can least afford it in many cases and the children with the least supervision end up walking in ill equipped areas.
The bus drives and stops right in front of my home everyday, but my kids are ineligible for PC bus service to Jeremy Ranch elementary. Please fix this problem. Thanks, Curtis Hoekstra
Requiring parents to drop their kids off at school just adds to the traffic and pollution problems in Summit County. 248 is a parking lot on weekday mornings because of this. We talk about trying to find ways to improve our traffic congestion in the future, especially in Park City. Adding school buses would be a step in the right direction.
STAT OF THE DAY-- Did you know that JRES Bus # 12 can hold up to 78 kids but only 18 ride it? Also, did you know that Ecker Bus #13 holds 52 kids but only transports 41? Fill the Buses!!!
I live on Hilltop Drive in Jeremy Ranch. My 2 children are not eligible to be bussed to school. There are 7 families (10+ children) on my street who drive to and from Jeremy Ranch school each day. It increases congestion at drop off and pick up!
As of 5:07 tonight, the board members of PCSD, voted unanimously to reduce the fee from $200 to $0 for ineligible riders!!! Thanks for all the support and assistance!!!
Jonathan, just so you have the exact verbiage from the UT Admin Code R277-600: The distance from home to school is determined as follows: From the center of the public route (road, thoroughfare, walkway, or highway) open to public use, opposite the regular entrance of the one where the pupil is living, over the nearest public route (thoroughfare, road, walkway, or highway) open regularly for use by the public, to the center of the public route (thoroughfare, road, walkway, or highway) open to public use, opposite the nearest public entrance to the school grounds which the student is attending.
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The school board just voted to scrap the two hundred dollar bus fee. This win belongs to every family who refused to accept this unfair double tax. Keep an eye on our next school board meeting to ensure they stick to this new policy.
November 6, 2015
Outrageous "Ineligible" School Bus Fee-- Where is our $200 per kid going??
Final supporters
Park City School District (PCSD) school kids who are considered "ineligible" for school bus transportation cannot ride the public school bus unless you pay $200 PER child. "Ineligible" kids are considered those that live within a 1.5 mile radius of the school they are attending.
When asked what the $200 per child fee is used for, the answer was that it goes into a pot for under-funded programs which means any program not just transportation. The $200 per child fee is not going to add more buses or routes because your "ineligible" kid gets on a space-available already allocated bus heading to their respective school. This means you pay $200 per child for a seat that would go unused regardless if your child sits in it or not.
According to the Utah Department of Education, PCSD has not asked for additional school buses in more than 4 years. Further more when asked where does funding of buses come from, the answer given was that it's a combination of state funds and PC resident property tax. So not only do "ineligible" families pay property tax, we're double fined because our children live within the 1.5 miles radius.
In academic year 2014-2105 the state reimbursed PSCD 68% of its transportation budget.
Additionally, the $200 fee may be unfeasible to some families for various reasons (family with 3+ kids) which leads to congestion, increase safety concerns for children who are dropped off/picked up, and finally it adds to the pollution problem.
If you would like to attend to discuss this issue and attempt to reduce the ridiculous $200 per child fee for a space that is already available, I encourage you to attend (20 Oct, 5:15pm at the Park City School District Office, 2700 Kearns Blvd.). If you're interested in signing a petition to at least reduce the fee, please do so.
We should not be satisfied with the answer of "well it's always been that way." Just because something "has always been that way" doesn't make it right.
Thank you for your time.
Updates
October 28, 2015
The district claims these fees pay for under-funded programs but they cannot explain why parents must pay for empty seats on existing routes. Email your school board representative today to demand a full audit of this budget. We need to force transparency regarding where our property tax dollars are actually going.
October 28, 2015
We hit a real turning point today and the district is finally starting to feel the pressure of our collective frustration. Now head to the school board website to email your representative and demand they explain exactly where this transport tax is going.
Reached 100 supporters
October 28, 2015
46 Comments
I was told the 1.5 mile boundary line is "as the crow flies" - why? Do we walk as the crow flies or on streets? This whole rule is just archaic. Please change this rule!!!!
It seems this hardship ends up falling in families who can least afford it in many cases and the children with the least supervision end up walking in ill equipped areas.
The bus drives and stops right in front of my home everyday, but my kids are ineligible for PC bus service to Jeremy Ranch elementary. Please fix this problem. Thanks, Curtis Hoekstra
Requiring parents to drop their kids off at school just adds to the traffic and pollution problems in Summit County. 248 is a parking lot on weekday mornings because of this. We talk about trying to find ways to improve our traffic congestion in the future, especially in Park City. Adding school buses would be a step in the right direction.
STAT OF THE DAY-- Did you know that JRES Bus # 12 can hold up to 78 kids but only 18 ride it? Also, did you know that Ecker Bus #13 holds 52 kids but only transports 41? Fill the Buses!!!
I live on Hilltop Drive in Jeremy Ranch. My 2 children are not eligible to be bussed to school. There are 7 families (10+ children) on my street who drive to and from Jeremy Ranch school each day. It increases congestion at drop off and pick up!
As of 5:07 tonight, the board members of PCSD, voted unanimously to reduce the fee from $200 to $0 for ineligible riders!!! Thanks for all the support and assistance!!!
Jonathan, just so you have the exact verbiage from the UT Admin Code R277-600: The distance from home to school is determined as follows: From the center of the public route (road, thoroughfare, walkway, or highway) open to public use, opposite the regular entrance of the one where the pupil is living, over the nearest public route (thoroughfare, road, walkway, or highway) open regularly for use by the public, to the center of the public route (thoroughfare, road, walkway, or highway) open to public use, opposite the nearest public entrance to the school grounds which the student is attending.
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I was told the 1.5 mile boundary line is "as the crow flies" - why? Do we walk as the crow flies or on streets? This whole rule is just archaic. Please change this rule!!!!