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SYRACUSE -ÊAny chances of Wawasee School Corp. piloting a new busing program are out the window - at least for this year - due to the state's fiscal problems.
For the past few months, Superintendent Dr. Mark Stock, Director of Transportation Bob Lahrman and the school board have been discussing options for changing the corporation's busing program. Under option one, in-town students would be picked up, with option two using double routing.
However, Stock said, after the information was put together for Tuesday's meeting for the school board regarding the costs for both options, they then got details of Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon's proposals to deal with Indiana's budget crisis regarding education funding. Part of that proposal includes the elimination of the state's share of transportation funds for schools.
In the first year, under the proposal, Wawasee would lose $15,000. In the second year, Wawasee would lose the rest of its share of state funding, totaling $30,000. And the state probably will no longer fund school corporations' transportation needs after that, Stock said.
Therefore, he said, he couldn't recommend Wawasee try anything new regarding busing at this time. They need to see what the state does first, he said.
Transportation funds are capped and they can't do anything to raise them, he said, they can only lower them. As the state is reducing the corporation's revenue, now is not the time to expand busing services.
If the school board tries piloting any new busing programs at this time, Stock said, "I feel like you're taking a slight risk."
If there's money available in the future, board member Dallas Winchester said, he would like to see the school corporation try something.
Brian Dawes, board president, said he thinks the school corporation can do something and wasn't comfortable with the solution of doing nothing. Money should not be a barrier to improving the busing, but, he said, he will let the community speak. He said he was not afraid of trying a pilot program and then taking it away if it doesn't work.
Asked where the money will come from to make up the $30,000 shortfall from the state, Stock said there is no way to make up the funding cut.
"We'll just eat it," he said. He said Wawasee has managed to make do with the funds they have had but some schools aren't as lucky. "Transportation fund - we don't have much authority over that. Unless the state changes that - I don't know what we'll do." Some school corporations having problems with transportation funding are literally subsidizing that fund from other funds, such as the general fund.
Dallas Winchester, board member, said Wawasee's expenditure for transportation per year is $1.2 million. That doesn't include the bus replacement fund.
Mary Lou Dixon, board member, said if the corporation tries any type of busing pilot program, it would be best to start it at the beginning of the school year so parents would know what to expect and students would get in the habit of the new program.
No action was taken on the matter.
