The Jordan Board of Education is discussing whether to scrape up an extra $150,000 to fund all requests to bus children living along walking routes deemed hazardous.
Board member Ralph Haws on Tuesday proposed a way to find the money within the transportation budget without jeopardizing salaries or programs or requiring a tax increase.The board last year discussed drawing the funding line at $1 million, which would leave 16 requests unfunded for the coming year.
"This is one of the most difficult and emotional items the board has to deal with," Haws said. "I think we would be negligent if we put 1,000 children in harm's way for the sake of $150,000."
Parents living along the 129 requested and current "hazardous" bus routes will receive a letter announcing the board intends to discuss locating money to fund all requests and is looking at establishing a formula for when to discontinue routes no longer deemed hazardous. The board will discuss the matter April 11.
The state pays to bus elementary schoolchildren living more than a mile and a half from school and middle-school students living more than two miles from school.
But the school board also looks at potential hazards, such as busy streets and construction, which children may encounter walking to school. The district funds those routes.
The district currently funds 112 "hazardous" bus routes; schools have requested another 17, Superintendent Barry Newbold said. Last year, 21 requests were not funded.
In the past year an outside evaluation determined the level of hazards on current and requested routes based on a point system, ranked them accordingly and kept a running tally of costs based on state transportation formulas.
If the board were to draw the line at the $1 million mark as discussed in budgets talks about a year ago, 16 busing requests would be unfunded.
But Haws doesn't like the idea of drawing a line between schools with basically the same level of hazard in walking routes.
So he proposes adjusting the budget to come up with another $150,000 to fund all requests. He suggests the money might come from:
Redirecting $35,000 in one-time money for Riverton High's activity supplement.
Taking $20,000 from a $35,000 budget for route evaluations, which have been conducted.
Halving the $150,000 set aside to buy two new fuel-efficient buses.
Taking $25,000 from a $100,000 special transportation emergency fund.
An informal poll showed four of five board members favored moving discussions in that direction.
But board member Peggy Jo Kennett preferred drawing the line at the $1 million mark because of tight budgets and concerns that funding all routes would set a precedent. She also noted state guidelines don't require busing students within walking distance of school.