DCSD to discuss introducing fees, GPS tracking to transportation
Douglas County School District will hold three meetings to discuss charging fees to ride District buses. The proposed fee would be $.50 per ride, per child and would begin in the 2010-11 school year. All School Advisory Councils, parents and the community are invited and encouraged to attend. The meetings are scheduled for April 29 at Cresthill Middle School, May 5 at Sagewood Middle School and May 6 Castle Rock Middle School. All meetings begin at 7 p.m.
The intent of the fee is to help maintain services during a time of severe revenue shortfalls. The District is faced with a $31 million reduction for the 2010-11 school year. At a cost of approximately $16 million, transportation costs make up a large portion of the District budget. While providing transportation to all students is not required, it is an important service, and with a District that spans 870 miles and transports 17,000 students, transportation costs per student can reach $960 annually. If a fee is not charged, transportation service will need to be reduced in order to avoid other cuts which would further impact the classroom.
Community feedback indicated that per-ride fees were preferred over a flat rate, which allows families to pay only according to their usage of District buses. In order to make this possible, the District is installing Zonar GPS units on each bus, which will track student ridership through the ZPassTM System.
The regional meetings will provide several opportunities for the School Advisory Councils and the public to learn more about the proposed fee. The District Advisory Committee will coordinate feedback from the SACs in order to provide a recommendation to the BOE at its May 18 meeting.
Douglas County School District is Colorado’s third largest school district, serving over 56,000 students. The vision statement for DCSD states “Graduates from Douglas County School District are responsible citizens who contribute to our society.” Visit the District website at www.dcsdk12.org.
