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Tempe district considering expanded bus service
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The Tempe Union High School District is considering spending its own money to bus students from other districts to its schools. It's an attempt to make life a little easier for families who typically have driven their children to school, said Superintendent Steve Adolph.
Tempe seeks help for needy students
"We're trying to be responsive to the needs of kids and their families. Part of this has to do with $4-a-gallon gas and these tough economic times," he said. "If it's economically feasible for us, we'd like to be able to help."
District officials also hope the bus service will draw new students to the district, said spokeswoman Linda Littell.
More students would, in turn, bring more state funding to the district, which is battling a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall this year.
The governing board will vote on the possible policy change at its meeting at7 p.m. today at the district office, 500 W. Guadalupe Road.The change would allow the district the option of providing bus service to students who do not reside within the district's boundaries.
However, their requests would ultimately be approved by the superintendent if a "sufficient number of students in a given area request bus transportation to one of our high schools," Littell said.
The state does not provide transportation funding to districts to bus open-enrolled students from other districts, Littell said.
Currently, some 993 students enroll in Tempe Union from other school districts.
Under its current policy, the Tempe Union district, like most East Valley districts, does not provide transportation to out-of-district students unless they have disabilities.
However, the Kyrene Elementary School District changed its policy in 2004 to offer busing to students from the Baseline Corridor and Maricopa, which some 900 students take advantage of at a rate of $2.27 per child, said district spokeswoman Nancy Dudenhoefer.
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