Education Law

Continued parade raining

BoardBuzz hates to be the "doom and gloom" about the economy, but the reality is that cuts and tightened purse strings are affecting school districts, communities, parents, and students nationwide. And we just can't ignore it.

An article that came to us via AP points out that school districts are coming up with creative ways to keep the costs of doing business down.

Children will walk farther to the bus stop, pay more for lunch, study from old textbooks and wear last year's clothes. Field trips? Forget about it.

This year, it could cost nearly twice as much to fuel the yellow buses that rumble to school each morning. If you think it's expensive to fill up a sport utility vehicle, try topping off a tank that is two or even three times as big.

At the same time, costs for air conditioning and heating, cafeteria food and classroom supplies are mounting, all because of the shaky economy. And parents have their own tanks to fill.

The extra costs present a tricky math problem: Where can schools subtract to keep costs under control?

A valid question indeed. And what's more, how can school districts ensure that student achievement doesn't suffer in the process? Another article notes,

Faced with soaring diesel fuel costs, school districts are forcing students to use the old-fashioned way to get to class: on their own two feet.

Many schools are eliminating or reducing bus service because fuel had jumped to $4.50 per gallon, 36 percent more than a year ago, and is busting budgets.

In California, districts are eliminating busing for thousands of students. Districts in Washington state, Idaho and Maryland and elsewhere are consolidating bus stops, canceling field trips and forcing students to walk longer distances to school to control costs.

Worried parents in Massachusetts have called WalkBoston, a nonprofit group that promotes walking, asking for help after their communities cut back on busing.

Health advocates long have encouraged students to walk, stressing the fitness benefits. But school and transportation officials say they fear that abruptly reducing bus service could lower attendance rates, increase traffic congestion or endanger students if they cannot walk on sidewalks and crosswalks.

BoardBuzz certainly sees how this could be a way to make lemonade from lemons, and get kids in shape in the process, but agrees that safety must be the first concern. So, what is your district doing to creatively cut costs? Leave us a comment and tell us about it.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on August 20, 2008 (boomark / email).