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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, May 19, 2002

Plan to hike school bus fare to be discussed at hearings

By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Staff Writer

A plan to double the cost of school bus fares for approximately 17,000 students statewide was expected to generate some protest, especially on the Neighbor Islands, where more children rely on bus transportation.

Aliamanu Intermediate School students are greeted by a line of buses at the end of the school day. Public hearings are scheduled for O'ahu, Moloka'i, Kaua'i and the Big Island for the Board of Education's proposed bus fare and school fee rule changes.

Advertiser library photo • Jan. 4, 2000

But judging by the proposal's first two public hearings on the Big Island and Maui, that's not the case: No one showed up.

Nevertheless, the fare hike may not be accepted so calmly as the Board of Education hearings head to O'ahu and Kaua'i this week. At least one of the Department of Education's bus contractors on O'ahu, worried that the increases will lead to a drop in ridership, sent letters to parents criticizing the proposed one-way fare increase from 25 cents to 50 cents.

Cynthia Kawachi, the DOE's acting manager for student transportation services, said she's expecting a lively hearing at tomorrow night's Windward O'ahu meeting at Samuel Wilder King Intermediate and at least a couple of others.

Meanwhile, the Kaua'i representative on the state Board of Education is urging residents to make their feelings known at a hearing Tuesday night at Wilcox Elementary School. Sherwood Hara said a lot of families are struggling on the Garden Isle, and a rate increase could be difficult for them, especially if they have more than one child.

"I can't support a 100 percent increase," Hara said.

Kawachi said there's no doubt the idea is unpopular, given the economic times. But the increase is necessary, she said, to help pull the school transportation budget out of the red.

The school bus program has a $22 million annual budget, but will have a $2.8 million deficit this year. The reason: Each ride costs the department $2.50.

"A lot of people don't realize the state subsidizes the bus program,'' she said.

Public hearing schedule

O'ahu: 7 p.m. tomorrow, King Intermediate

Kaua'i: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wilcox Elementary

O'ahu:7 p.m. Thursday, 'Aiea Elementary

Big Island: 7 p.m. May 28, Kealakehe Elementary

O'ahu: 7 p.m. May 29, Kapolei High

O'ahu: 7 p.m. May 30, Washington Middle

Big Island: 7 p.m. June 6, Pahoa High

Moloka'i: 10 a.m. June 8, Kaunakakai Elementary

O'ahu: 7 p.m. June 10, Mililani High

Big Island: 7 p.m. June 13, Waimea Middle

O'ahu: 7 p.m. June 17, Wai'anae Intermediate

Submit written testimony by June 4 to: Board of Education, P.O. Box 2360, Honolulu 96804.

All students must live at least a mile from campus to ride the bus, a distance the plan would increase for older students on O'ahu.

Under the proposal, middle school students would need to live 1.5 miles from school to qualify for bus service, while high school students would have to live two miles away. The minimum distance for elementary school students would remain one mile.

Kawachi said the distance requirements are being changed only on O'ahu in recognition of the island's public transportation system.

An estimated 16,000 to 17,000 students pay the fare and ride the bus every day in Hawai'i. Another 12,000 or so will continue to ride for free because their family income falls below federal poverty guidelines.

The plan also would create a bus pass system that would give parents a 5 percent discount.

One purpose of the pass is to prevent students from poorer families, who now use a pass to ride for free, from being easily identified by their classmates.

The last school bus fare increase, from 10 cents to 25 cents, was in 1995, an action that resulted in a 10 percent decrease in paying ridership. Another decrease is expected this time, Kawachi said.

Big Island parent Lissa Penner, a member of Na'alehu Elementary and Intermediate's school/community-based management council, said children should not be charged more for going to school. Penner pointed out that for a family with three children, the cost would be $15 a week without the discounted pass.

"That's a substantial amount down here ...," she said. "I imagine a lot more parents will drive."

The BOE will make a decision on the fare increase after public hearings are completed June 17. The proposal then goes to the governor.

Testimony on another rule change also will be accepted at the hearings. Instead of specifying dollar amounts for class dues, student association fees and club dues, the BOE wants to set maximum allowable charges.

This would eliminate the trouble of holding public hearings every time the dollar amounts need to be adjusted due to inflation.

The proposed bus fare and school fee rule changes are available at public schools and libraries, and the DOE Web site.

Advertiser staff writer Hugh Clark contributed to this report.