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Proposal Would Lead To More Kids On School Buses Instead Of Walking
February 13, 2018
Despite concerns from school districts and lawmakers about the projected costs, a Senate committee Monday approved a bill that would lead to more students being able to take school buses.
The bill filed by Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, would require that buses be available for students who live more than 1.5 miles from school — down from the current standard of two miles. It also would make other changes, such as ensuring that buses would be available to all students who encounter “hazardous walking conditions” going back and forth to school.
The Senate Education Committee voted 8-1 to approve the bill, which Steube said was aimed at helping keep children safe. But some lawmakers said they had heard from school districts worried about the potential costs of such an expansion of busing.
A staff analysis said the changes would lead to the transportation of an estimated 61,765 additional students, at a cost of nearly $58.5 million. Also, it said an estimated 908 additional buses would be needed, at a cost of more than $97.1 million.
by The News Service of Florida
Comments
6 Responses to “Proposal Would Lead To More Kids On School Buses Instead Of Walking”
Actually, all walking is hazardous.
Serial killers, child molesters, drive-by shooters just can’t get to everybody they might kill if there weren’t so many potential victims to choose from.
And then there are drunk drivers, doped-up drivers, distracted-by-cell-phone drivers, plain old insane drifters, rabid animals.
Not that you are safe at home since the same serial killers deliver, burglars might kill, and some drivers drive through houses.
David for courage with wisdom
Grand Locust, I agree that kids shouldn’t have to wade & improvements need to be made like sidewalks throughout our area in north part of escambia, not just for the students either. As for the school district worried bout the cost, we could always start homeschooling our kids, would also cut down on bullying & the who is who status favoritism in discipline. That would save them a lot.
I find it hard to believe it would cost the district so much money when 15 or more buses pass by these students walking to and from school. It’s crazy that the bus drivers can’t stop to pick the students up at their homes when the drivers are passing by. Mind blowing to me how this one and a half to two miles are costing the state so much money. Call me crazy.
Steube trying to get his name out there every week so he can run for governor or what?
There is no price tag placed on the safety and well-being of a child whether going to or coming from school. Ultimate responsibility for the child falls to the parent(s) whose safety and well-being should be first.
This action may impede the predators and molesters too!
100 million here, 100 million there, and pretty soon you are talking about real money. while the entire area of Navarre between 98 and panhandle are flooded as people walk to their cars in standing water, and roads and bridges all over the two county area are failing because of these heavy rains which seem to increase each year. If kids have to walk a mile and a half on dry land is one thing, but if kids have to wade to school, maybe our legislators will get the message that the state of Florida needs to fix our roads and bridges before spending a couple hundred million to put more local burden on our schools.