Parents in Buffalo, New York, may start earning financial benefits for driving their kids to school. A shortage of school bus drivers has been a problem since last school year, and the effects of this "bussing problem" have continually been growing.
Thus, to solve the problem, the Buffalo Board of Education approved a key step in the Parent Transportation Reimbursement Pilot Program, allowing 1,500 parents to be paid for the mileage used to drive their children to school, The Buffalo News reported. Approval happened at a marathon, five-hour-long board meeting Wednesday night at the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts.
The board approved an $856,332 budget to finance the initiative the Ram and the district's Operation Sunrise Transportation Committee presented this summer. The proposal stated that parents would be paid 62.5 cents per mile, having an average round trip of 6 miles.
If this pushed through, Buffalo would be the first large school district in the state that would reimburse parents for driving their children to school.
Reimbursement to parents as a 'front runner' solution
Other possible solutions were presented to solve this bussing problem-consolidation of bus routes, enhancement of before-school programs, and provision for public transit reimbursement. Reimbursement to parents has proved to be a "front runner," WKBW revealed.
One of the board members, Kathy Evans-Brown, said they must start somewhere to overcome this serious problem.
Sharon Belton-Cottman, Ferry District representative, recalled transportation challenges last school year. She said that an estimated 3,000 kids were not picked up on a given day, and those arriving in school as late as 10:30 a.m. were delivered to their homes at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m.
"To not address the problem is unacceptable. Not to try new things is not acceptable. And to allow children to stand out in the cold for their buses not to appear is not acceptable," Belton-Cottman stated.
Only one board member did not approved
All but one school board member approved the motion.
Larry Scott, At-Large Buffalo school board member, disapproved of the said vital step stating that he cannot "stomach" throwing funds for something costly and not proven effective yet.
Scott took to Twitter and criticized the district's longtime private transportation partner, First Student, for failing to provide a solution or an alternative to the nationwide bus shortage.
He emphasized that First Student receives $50 million annually for their service to transport kids. A contract has been signed; therefore, this private transportation agency should share the responsibility of making it up to the school, parents, and students.
Buffalo representative for First Student, Rob Hummel, still has not responded after Scott's statement Wednesday afternoon. However, in a news conference with district officials last month, Hummel presented that they have already offered an increase in pay for bus drivers starting between $25 to $28 per hour, and signing and retention bonuses as ways to solve the nationwide bus driver shortage, that is strongly felt locally.
Related Article: Hillsborough School District Releases New App for Parents To Be Able to Track Their Kid's Buses
