Ruling on school bus fees leaves many districts stuck - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Rich Van Wyk/Eyewitness News

Indianapolis - Parents in dozens of communities across the state may be affected by an opinion calling school bus fees illegal. Franklin Township's pay to ride plan prompted the attorney general's legal advice, but other school districts were also considering similar plans to balance their budgets.

Not having to pay $75 for each child to ride the school bus is a huge relief for some parents. Dave Krieg has two children and no job.

"I was kind of stressing about the $150. That was an additional fee I was going to have to pay," said Krieg.

But there could be consequences. Pay to ride would have raised more than $400,000 for a district struggling with funding cuts totaling $4.5 million.

Without additional revenue, Franklin Township Superintendent Dr. Walter Bourke says busing may survive this year, but not next year.

Parents aren't looking forward to that.

"Absolutely not. I don't want to drive my kids back and forth to school. But I'm not going to have a choice," said Heidi Law, parent.

Parents in other communities may not have a choice either. Several Indiana school districts already charge students to ride buses. Dozens more were considering the additional fees to solve their own funding problems.

Dennis Costerison with the Indiana Association of School Business Officials represents financial officers responsible for balancing school districts budgets. He says up to thirty districts could be affected.

Local property taxes pay for transportation. Communities with lots of neighborhoods and few commercial properties are expected to suffer the most next year when tax limits - so-called circuit breakers, take effect.

"I think at least ten percent of the school districts in the state have this issue in front of them. It may grow as we see what happens with the circuit breaker in the future," said Costerison.

Franklin expects to lose $8 million, leaving the school district less than $400,000 to run a transportation system now costing more than $4 million.