s/o are school buses free in your school district?

[sonrisa]

For some reason I thought school buses were generally free. Here you can sign up for either morning or afternoon bus or both if there is space. If they take both it costs around $900/year.

(I never took a school bus as a kid.)

[wambam]

The one I grew up in, yes.

The one I'm in now, bus service is only for elementary students.

[wonderfezz]

Yes

[my4girls]

oh wow I had no idea some places charged for busing. ours is free

[verypunny]

Our district has no buses.

[irishbride2]

are you closer than 2 miles? I know some places offer it as an extra service for those closer than 2 miles since they are not required to provide transportation.

I'm shocked they charge for over 2 miles, though.

[papie]

Free if you live over a mile away.

[jenny1223]

I've never heard of charging for buses.

[rosiebear]

Ours are extra, too, but I don't know how much because we were always in walking distance. My son goes into high school next year, and he'll take a city bus at a regular fare. That is going to get expensive!  for $150 a semester.

[Deleted]

If you live within a certain distance (I believe its less than 2 miles from the school) and want to take a bus there is a fee of $300 per kid I believe. If you live over 2 miles from the school the bus is free

[EmilieMadison]

They are free.

[berbles]

The county I grew up in has free buses for all students who live more than 1 mile from school. Except for Kindergartners, who are all bused, even if they practically live on school property, lol. When I was there, our school district had the 2nd largest bus fleet in the country. Greyhound has the #1.

I only went to school in this state/county for my senior year and I lived 2 blocks from the school, but I'm pretty sure you have to pay to use the buses here.

[mnm]

Yes - paid for with our taxes

[auntie]

Where I live, most districts offer free busing unless the district is small and safely navigable on foot. Districts that offer busing to public students must offer private and parochial students attending within 12 miles of the border buses as well.

Attending public school, DS was always bused and never more than 2.2 miles from the building. I can hear the outdoor PA speakers from the elementary from my house, but there are no sidewalks, so he was bused.

[DotAndBuzz]

For elem and middle, yes.

They had to cut HS buses and give kids vouchers to take the city bus instead. the major PTO booster for the district donated a few hundred thousand to keep buses for late middle school activities, as well as other enrichment activities and field trips district-wide.

[janegold]

It's free here but buses are now only offered to children up to 6th grade. Students 7th grade and up get free public bus/subway passes. It's controversial.

[ECB]

Never knew they WEREN'T free!

[illgetthere]

Yes, I had never heard of charging.
When I was in elem school, we didn't have buses at all.

[savan]

They just started charging last year. I think it's $75 a year. The majority of kids living within walking distance and don't get bus service at all.

[ZoeHart]

I never realized some places charged for buses, yes they are free here.

[flutterfly]

Yes free.

[Deleted]

School buses around here are called "public transportation" so yes, there is a cost - lol

[Deleted]

They're free.

[Monica Geller]

I can only IMAGINE the uproar it would cause in my city if they decided to charge for buses!! There are limits-- live more than 2 miles from your assigned school and only to 9th grade.

[mrsjuleshs]

Free but you are only eligible for service if you are over 1/2 mile from the elementary (as a crow flies) or 1 mile for Jr. high and high school.

[Deleted]

"free" but trust me, we PAY for them. I pay 8K a year in School Taxes

[irishbride2]

Jun 11, 2014 11:40:43 GMT -5 @heyitsme said:

School buses around here are called "public transportation" so yes, there is a cost - lol

Man,  they don't provide vouchers? When I worked in a school in the city, our kids used the city buses but we had to provide monthly bus passes. 

[HiC]

Buses are paid through the education portion of our town's budget. Our taxes pay for it.

[winnied]

For some reason I thought my parents paid extra for my bus when I was in public middle school in MI. Any other MI peeps know if this is a thing? I lived 15 min from school.

[Jalapeñomel]

Free metro passes here