0813 bus cuts public hearing
Diega MacDougall, 13, a seventh grader at Simmons Middle School, holds a sign at public forum held to discuss the decision of Hoover City School officials to cut bus service. Photo by Marienne Thomas Ogle.
Hoover City Schools’ vote to cut its bus system was back under scrutiny at a public budget hearing in September. Local parents were present once again to voice their opposition to the plan and hear from board members about the alternatives being considered by Hoover City Schools.
The decision to eliminate transportation was originally made in July in response to increasing budget deficits, and the board suggests the move could save the school system $2.5 million per year. Nonetheless, it has met continued resistance from parents, many of whom argue they cannot get their children to school without the buses. The board has previously held several public meetings to discuss these concerns and alternate solutions, but has yet to reach a result that is mutually satisfying.
The budget hearing did not produce any new solutions, but parents were encouraged to hear the board was looking at all possible alternatives before entirely discarding the bus system. Superintendent Andy Craig noted that the district’s geography made the transportation problem more challenging, but the board was still considering the feasibility of a fee-based program or an agreement with a private company to provide third-party transportation.
Board members also emphasized that these cuts were necessary to avoid placing further strain on the classrooms and compromising Hoover children’s education. They also assured the audience that their decision was not made to deliberately abandon parents with no way to transport their children.
“It’s not like we intended to pull the plug and let everybody fend for themselves,” Board member Earl Cooper said during the meeting. “I don’t think that it’s an accurate assumption to say that we did.”
The school board will continue to consider the transportation problem as it prepares its 2013-2014 budget and plans to present its solution to parents in the near future.
“You’re going to hear something soon,” said Cooper.
