BOE approves Students who want to ride the school bus next year will have to pay 35 cents each way -- an increase of 10 cents -- if the governor approves a Board of Education decision.
10-cent increase
in student bus fare
By Susan Essoyan
sessoyan@starbulletin.comThe board narrowly rejected a plan to double fares to 50 cents last night, saying it would pose a "tremendous economic burden."
The fare hike also is subject to approval by the attorney general, and is not likely to go into effect before the next school year, according to Cynthia Kawachi, acting manager for student transportation services.
"We really don't want to, but we have no choice," said board member Keith Sakata, arguing for a fare increase to help cope with a $4 million annual deficit in the program.
The new fee applies to 18,000 public school students who pay to ride the bus. Another 12,000 children ride the bus for free because they are on welfare or have physical or health problems.
Ironically, the fare increase may not improve the system's bottom line because the board also decided to let more students ride free.
"It's going to increase my deficit," Kawachi said after the meeting at Mililani Middle School. "We'll be using the same criteria now as the free lunch program."
Under the new eligibility requirements, students who receive food stamps will be able to ride free, not just those on welfare, a proposal intended originally to soften the blow of doubling fares. Kawachi could not say how many more children would qualify for free service.
The board also voted to institute a bus pass system rather than coin collection, to ensure privacy for those getting a free ride, and will have to reimburse the schools for administering that service.
At public hearings earlier this year, parents testified overwhelmingly against doubling fares. Chairman Herbert Watanabe said the fee hike is subject to approval by the attorney general, since those hearings didn't specifically address a smaller increase.
Fares were last raised in 1995, jumping from 10 cents a ride to 25 cents.
Board members, who have talked about raising fares for three years, wrestled with the decision last night.
"Doubling bus fares for children to get to school, especially for families with several children, would act as a tremendous economic burden for those families," Sherman Hara argued.
The school bus system is heavily subsidized. It costs from $2 to $2.50 a day to transport each regular-education student, according to Kawachi.
Ken LeVasseur, spokesman for the Hawaii School Bus Contractors Association, urged the board yesterday not to raise fares at all for fear of scaring off riders. He also claimed the board was "asking regular education parents to pay for the high cost of special-needs students."
Board members voted to shift the cost of midday transport of special-needs children from the bus system to special-education funds.
State Board of Education
