Every Albert Lea student within two miles of their school will have to find their own transportation as soon as mid-January, after the school board decided to scale back bus service Monday.

Tuesday, December 04, 2001

Every Albert Lea student within two miles of their school will have to find their own transportation as soon as mid-January, after the school board decided to scale back bus service Monday. The move will affect about 400 students.

Right now, no other district in the state enforces a two-mile busing radius for every level, although other schools are considering it this year in the face of budget cuts, said Facilities and Transportation Director Bruce Olson.

The change, which will save the district $105,000 next year, is the first cut made by the school in its attempt to make up a $1.1 million budget shortfall for 2002-2003.

The busing cuts will go into effect gradually. Beginning with the second semester of this school year, which begins Jan. 21, middle-school students within two miles of their school will not be bused for free. Currently, the middle school’s non-busing radius is 1.5 miles.

Elementary schoolers will have until the start of the next school year to comply. They currently are bused if they are farther than one mile from the school; next year only those farther than two miles away will be allowed to ride the school bus.

&uot;This is going to take a tremendous amount of time to implement,&uot; Olson said. The district will send letters to every affected family to explain the new busing rules, he said.

Those who will become disqualified from free bus service may still pay to have their children transported, Olson said. The bus company charges parents around $25 per month for the service, which is the same rate the school pays.

Board member Ken Petersen argued that two miles was too far to expect elementary students to go on their own, and suggested 1.5 miles instead. If the school decides it needs to save more money in the future, Petersen said, it could increase the distance to two miles.

Bill Leland, who proposed the two-mile across-the-board change, said the district would likely need to extend the radius to two miles regardless.

&uot;I know it’s going to be a hardship for many people,&uot; he said. &uot;However, I think we need to begin communicating two miles to people as soon as possible so they can begin preparing for it. I don’t think we’re going to have a choice.&uot;

Board members agreed that it’s difficult to ask students to find their own ride, especially with elementary schoolers, but said it was one of many hard decisions that must be made.

&uot;This is one of those very difficult decisions for the whole group of us, and we will have more,&uot; said board member Darlene Greibrok.

Olson said some areas deemed too hazardous for walking students – such as places without sidewalks or those near roads with fast-moving traffic – can be exempt from the rules.

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