We’re less than a month away from the start of the new school year and one southern New Jersey district is telling some families to find a different way to get to school or pay up. NBC10’s Claudia Vargas explains why not all students are guaranteed a free ride on the bus.
The Deptford Township Board of Education announced on Monday that it has rescinded its plan to stop offering free buses for students who live within two and two and a half miles away from their schools.
This decision comes just three days after the Deptford Township School District announced its plan for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year which included reducing the number of bus stops and students transported to and from each school.
In a letter to parents on Monday, the school district superintendent Kevin Kanauss said the Board of Education met with administration that same day and discussed the feedback they received following their initial announcement.
"After careful consideration, the recommendation and decision to rescind the transportation plan for the 2024-2025 school year has been made. Deptford Township Schools will continue courtesy transportation to the individual buildings that have received it in the past," Kanauss said in the letter.
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NBC10 spoke with several parents with students who would have been impacted by the change.
One mother said she was concerned about the lack of sidewalk in her neighborhood, while another parent said that the alternative the district was offering was too high to pay with such short notice.
In the original letter that was sent to parents on Friday, August 9, it said families had an option of paying $365 per student each year for a new subscription bus service.
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The news came less than a month before the school year is set to start.
Deptford's superintendent said in the original letter to parents that the decision was financial and that the cuts would save the district more than $3 million annually.
"I understand the budgetary aspect. I understand the legality of it but at the end of the day, it's the safety of the kids," Cheryl Cliver, a parent, said.
Parents also started a petition to implement free school busing for all students in Deptford and got over a thousand signatures.
The district said it will further analyze the budget and transportation concerns.
It also said while they are maintaining courtesy busing, they need to be mindful of the number of stops and resources they are using. Therefore, the length of the bus rides may increase for students.
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