Framingham: You Could Pay Less Next Year To Ride the School Bus

The Framingham School Committee looked at motions Tuesday night to reduce the current school bus fee of $270 to $200 and $250.

The motion to reduce the fee by $70 to $200 failed.

The motion to reduce the fee by $20 to $250, with a family cap of $500, passed

However, the bus fee reduction is NOT official until the School Committee takes a second vote, which likely will happen later this month.

Of the more than 5,000 riders on the buses in Framingham, there are 1,500 paid riders, said Framingham Schools Chief Operating Officer Ed Gotgart.

In Framingham, students in grades K-6 ride the bus for free, if they live 2 miles from their school.

If they live closer than 2 miles, parents may purchase a bus pass at $270 per child for the school year, if a space is available on that bus route.

Buses are not free for students in grades 7-12. Parents can purchase a bus pass for those middle and high school students.

Parents must purchase a pass at $270 (with a cap of $540.) Students on free or reduced lunch can apply for full or partial waivers.

Editor’s Note: In full transparency, I have a daughter who rides the bus and our family pays the fee.

Gotgart told the Framingham School Committee the district collects about $300,000 in bus fees.

The bus contract for the Framingham Public Schools is more than $4 million per year.

A new 5-year bus contract is to be awarded later this month.

Gotgart explained to School Committee members for each $10 reduced from the current $270 bus fee, the district would lose $12,000 in revenue.

Thus, the proposed $20 reduction in the bus fee from $270 to $250 taken by the School Committee last night, but still not official until a second vote, could mean a loss of $24,000 to the district.

The Framingham School Committee’s subcommittee on policy had recommended by a 2-1 vote to lower the bus fees by $70 to $200. (Policy subcommittee members Eric Silverman and Beverly Hugo were in favor. Policy subcommittee chair Michelle Brosnahan was against.)

But when the full School Committee was asked to take a vote last night again only Hugo and Silverman were in favor of a $70 reduction. The vote was 2-5.

Next, there was a vote to keep the fee as is at $270. That motion failed 3-4.

Then, there was a vote, based on a recommendation from School Committee member Don Taggart to reduce the fee by $20 to $250. That motion passed 4-3.

Framingham raised the bus fee to $270 and changed who was eligible for a bus in 2008, when it was laying off staff and facing a huge budget shortfall.

Pay To Ride The Bus

In a majority of the 50 states, public school students get on a bus to go to school, and take the bus home without paying a fee.

But according to the Pew Charitable Trust, five states, including Massachusetts, charge families to get their child(ren) to public schools.

A 2011 report identified a dozen states that allow public school districts to charge parents fees to transport their children to school. In addition, Hawaii, required all parents to pay a bus fee. Nineteen states prohibited such fees and the other states do not have established policies.

What do other districts charge?

• Neighboring Natick charges $150 to ride the bus, with a family cap of $300.
• Ashland charges $280 per student, with a $560 family maximum.
• Brookline charges no transportation fees.
• Acton-Boxborough charges no transportation fees.
• Hopkinton charges $155 per student, with a family cap of $340.
• Hudson charges no transportation fees.
• Lincoln-Sudbury charges no transportation fees.
• Milford charges no transportation fees.
• Newton charges $310 per student, with a $620 family cap.
• Keefe Technical charges no transportation fee.
• Waltham charges no transportation fee.
• Wellesley charges $521 per student, with a $1,142 family cap.
• Weston charges no transportation fee.
• Wayland charges $300 per student, with a $640 family maximum.
• Braintree charges $180 per student, with a family cap at $250.
• Brockton charges no transportation fee.
• Foxborough charges no transportation fee.
• Methuen charges no transportation fee.
• Norwood charges $250 per student, with a $600 family cap.
• Plymouth charges $125 per student, with a $300 family cap.
• Quincy charges $200 per student, with a $400 family cap.
• Weymouth charges $235 per student, with a $590 cap.
• • “Marlborough Public Schools is fortunate to have the resources necessary to provide free transportation services for all students who reside in approved transportation areas,” states the district’s website. All elementary students get a free bus, middle school students who live more than 1.5 miles are eligible for a bus and high school students who are beyond 2 miles.

Originally posted at 6 a.m. Updated at 8:15 a.m.