he MMSD finance and operations committee of the school board on Tuesday voted to approve a plan to continue bus services for Madison’s Catholic schools. MMSD provides bus transportation under state law.
Under the plan, two schools, Queen of Peace and St. Maria Goretti, will adjust their schedules so they can share a bus. The kindergarten noon bus at St. Dennis will be discontinued, as will bus service to Edgewood. The eliminations would affect a handful of families and they will receive vouchers from MMSD to cover the cost of private transportation.
The school schedule adjustments and two route cancellations will save the public schools about $140,000 a year, according to MMSD officials.
The Madison School District eliminated private school busing last spring – a decision that was undone via an adminstrative snafu.
I believe the $20,000 figure in the report is incorrect. They probably meant $200,000
Of course, even with the “voucher” this sounds like discrimination to me!
I guess the $20,000 figure is correct. Cap Times article explains it much better. MMSD will pay $20,000 MORE than the cost of simply eliminating all buses and giving all eligible families contracts.
The articles imply that everyone gets contracts. For those of you irate about your MMSD middle or high school student paying for bus passes, remember that the middle/high school students don’t get contracts unless they live in Fitchburg where there is no public bus service. It’s primarily for elementary students.
This is indefensible.
MMSD’s responsibility is first and foremost to the students who are at their schools. Why should they even give transportation vouchers to families who decide they’re going to send their kids to private schools? When schools in the district are seeing more and more cuts, this voluntary decision to help out people rich enough to send their children to a private school is unnecesary.
It’s not “voluntary”, it’s a state LAW…please moan to the legislature, not the MMSD.