Pa. School Bus Association warns of cutting student transportation

As school districts around Pennsylvania look for ways to make their budgets accommodate state cuts, the state’s School Bus Association has one thought on its mind.

“Not only is school bus transportation the safest means of transporting students to school, it also plays a major factor in student attendance,” said Selina Pittenger, executive director of the Pennsylvania School Bus Association.
Citing a drop in attendance after Union County, Tenn., eliminated school bus service to fill a budget gap, the Pennsylvania group is warning local district of potential effect cutting transit could have.

The state’s districts are in the middle of figuring out their budgets. Locally, Philadelphia and Chester Upland are in especially dire straits. Philadelphia is considering a property tax adjustment to help the schools, while Chester Upland looks for assistance from the state.