Senate Bill 81 replaces the $248 million bus cut with an across-the-board reduction of roughly $42 per student that affects all K-12 districts. Under the previous plan, the isolated Death Valley Unified School District would have lost $1,734 per student, while Davis Joint Unified would have lost less than $8 per student, according to the California School Boards Association.
The state's coalition of education groups, including teachers, school boards and administrators, supported the change, as did lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The only opponents were charter schools and some suburban districts that stand to lose more under SB 81 than they did under the bus cut.
The bus reduction was triggered in December when fiscal forecasters determined California would fall $2.2 billion short of the optimistic revenue projections that Brown and lawmakers used last June.
Chesbro thanks governor for signing SB 81
SACRAMENTO – Praising the Governor for his swift action and understanding of an issue of critical importance to rural California school children, Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) today thanked Jerry Brown for signing SB 81, the bill that restores this year’s funding for the Home to School Transportation program. The signing came in time to save districts on the brink of firing their school bus drivers.
“I am thrilled that the Legislature and Governor were able to come together to restore the funding that gets California’s students to school,” Chesbro said. “Home-to-School Transportation is an essential service in my district. This bill was signed just in time to save the jobs of many school bus drivers and ensure that there is no interruption in getting kids to school.”
SB 81 replaces the $248 million cut to the Home-to-School Transportation program made by Governor Brown, with a smaller, more equitable reduction across all school districts in California. SB 81 moved quickly through the Legislature and made it to the Governor’s desk in just three days.
As a budget bill, SB 81 will go into effect immediately.
◼ SoHum School Buses Seem Saved; Gov. Signs SB 81 - Hank Sims/Lost Coast Outpost
Background:
◼ Stop the Buses: It’s an Attack on Rural Education - Kym Kemp/Lost Coast Outpost
◼ Next Stop, No Students: Southern Humboldt Struggles with School Transportation Funding - Kym Kemp/Lost Coast Outpost
◼ Southern Humboldt Takes a Field Trip to Sacramento - Kym Kemp/Lost Coast Outpost
◼ Southern Humboldt Pulling Out All the Stops to Protest Transportation Cuts - Kym Kemp/Lost Coast Outpost
◼ SB 81 Passes Budget Committee: Bus Bill Roars on to Governor - Kym Kemp/Lost Coast Outpost
◼ Southern Humboldt to take school bus woes to Sacramento; North Coast's state senator, assemblyman promise to restore cuts - Jessica Cejnar/Times Standard
◼ School transportation bill on governor's desk; Sen. Evans: Southern Humboldt key in getting bill passed - Jessica Cejnar/Times Standard
◼ SoHum schools may eliminate transportation program; county education official calls on state legislators to stop trigger cuts - Jessica Cejnar/Times Standard
◼ Local K-12, college officials react to $1 billion in cuts; schools worried over slashed transportation funding - Jessica Cejnar/Times Standard
