LOUDOUN CO., Va. (WUSA9) -- Loudoun County Public Schools could be the first in the state to charge students for bus rides if they get the okay from state legislators.
Stephanie Cole picks up her nine-year-old daughter from Ashburn Elementary School, but her other two children in middle school ride the bus. Paying for bus rides would add up quickly.
"I don't like that at all. I think that's a terrible idea. I think we pay enough as it is," Cole said.
She says when her children buy lunches it could cost her $10 a day. Adding on a bus fee is a bit much, according to Cole.
"All we are asking to do is untie our hands to assist us with the tools to deal with budget issues," countered Bill Fox, the Leesburg representative on the Loudoun County School Board.
Fox says he would rather not have students pay, but in a pinch he wants that authority.
School districts are not allowed to charge for transportation. They must first ask legislators in Richmond to put that on the list of items for which they can charge parents. Last year, a $38 million shortfall caused the board to eliminate after school activities. Fox says this year doesn't look any better.
Charging for rides is not a new idea - about a dozen states do it.
One mom who spoke to WUSA9 said her home town of Massachusetts charges bus fees and she's okay with it here.
"I would rather pay for the bus and smaller class sizes."
That's precisely Fox's argument.
He says adding one or two students in each class usually goes under the radar, and that affects a student's education more than an additional fee.
"I'd rather cut from transportation than cut from educational services we are currently providing," Fox said.
For families with low income, Fox believes they can work out a program similar to reduced lunches where they offer free or reduced lunches for those with limited income. The same would apply to bus fees.
Students would most likely use a debit card or a pass of $180 a year, $0.50 a ride or $1 a day on the low end, according to Fox.
The school board also wants to ask legislators permission to charge for full-day kindergarten. It's something that hasn't been available to all students in Loudoun County.
If legislators give the okay, it opens the door for all school districts in the Commonwealth to charge for transportation and full day kindergarten.
