McNerney Moves to Provide Relief to School Districts Bus Costs

Press Release

Today, just a month out from the start of school across Northern California, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-11) introduced legislation to provide assistance to school districts dealing with the increased cost of running school buses.

The Gas Price Relief for Schools Act, H.R. 6596, provides emergency funding over a two year period to help public school districts offset increases in school bus transportation costs due to high fuel prices. Rep. McNerney introduced the bill this afternoon along with co-sponsor Rep. Zack Space (D-OH).

"Schools, just as families across the country, are being squeezed by high gas prices. These costs have cut into their budgets and school districts have been forced to either reduce or charge for bus service or cut back on other programs," said Rep. McNerney.

Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to award grants to state or local governments responsible for providing school bus transportation to a public school system. Grants will be awarded based on how much jurisdictions are hurt by high gas prices. Considerations include whether a public school system has implemented cuts to transportation services, changes in school operations such as a shorter school week, and the distances school buses must travel to transport students.

School districts all across Northern California have been forced to deal with the increasing cost of fueling their bus fleets.

Linden Unified has done its best to fight off the effects of high gas prices, which is difficult in a rural district with packed buses that are already forced to travel long routes. In fact, the price of transportation to after school events for the District jumped from $50,000 to $105,000 this year. The district spends $700,000 of its $1 million budget on home-to-school transportation.

"That would be wonderful to have offsets for what we are spending on gas," Rebecca Hall, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance for LUSD, said when asked about Rep. McNerney's bill. "It will put more money back into the classroom, where it needs to be."

A few brief descriptions of the problems facing school districts in CA-11:

Manteca Unified School District has, like many other school districts, experienced the crippling effects of high gas prices. Their outside charter and diesel gas costs have risen 40 percent in the past year, and cuts to bus routes are highly likely.

At Pleasanton Unified School District, they have reduced the amount of time a bus can wait to pick up a child. They used to wait up to five minutes, but now will not idle any longer than three. Also, the elimination of bus transportation for students to Heritage High School is expected to occur sometime this year.

Tracy Unified School District increased fees for bus services from $135 per student last year to $180 this year.

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