UPDATE:

The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) has received an additional 27 million dollars from the state which may result in a continuation of transportation to schools around the county.

According to a June 3, 2011 article by Staff Writer Katie Wald, SDUSD has considered cutting transportation to most schools. Principal Jeff Olivero said, “Once a student starts [school], they should be able to carry out their high school experience. On the other hand, we are dealing with financial necessities that may not allow that option.”

Recent changes in the budget reflect that not only may transportation continue to be provided to schools, but about 800 teachers who were laid off, can return. According to KBPS Education, “About 800 teachers and 600 other school district employees were laid off as part of the San Diego Unified budget for the coming year. The district will now be getting an additional 27 million from the state and will use the bulk of that money to retain smaller class sizes in early elementary grades” (kpbs.org).

University City High School will continue to have bus transportation for its students next year. However, it looks like the UC feeder schools, including Curie, Doyle, and Spreckels Elementaries, and Standley Middle School may lose theirs.

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June 3, 2011

UC High School’s future population may drop if the change is made, according to Principal Jeff Olivero, because some elementary and middle school students may not have rides to feeder schools and will not have to go to schools closer to their homes.

According to Area Superintendent Michael Price, “The transportation piece is still not decided for the district next year. The Board of Education was waiting to see the impacts from the Govenor’s revise that was released on May 16.”

Olivero said, “Once a student starts, they should be able to carry out their high school experience. On the other hand, we are dealing with financial necessities that may not allow that option.”

Price said, “There was some guardedly optimistic news in the sort term but we have a long term problem. Transportation at this time has been pared down affecting mostly middle schools and elementary schools if the current plan survives without cuts or additions…. UC and other high schools that are not in Program Improvement are required by law to accept students from high schools that are designated as Program Improvement schools and the district is obligated to provide transportation for those students  (elementary and middle schools work the same way) using at least five percent of the Title I at 15 percent.”

“I find it sad that kids who live far away from school will no longer have any way of getting to and from school and I think that it is unfair that buses won’t provide rides for those kids,” said Sophomore Nicole Gomez.

“It is unfair that students will be denied the opportunity to go to a better school because something happened with money and budgets that they have no control over,” said Sophomore Ashley Conte.

“Kids who don’t live close to their elementary or middle school of their choice are going to have to go somewhere else and chances are they have already made good friends and are comfortable where they are. With Fewer students at each school, and then the teachers will have to find new jobs. Buses should have been one of the last things cut, considering how many students rely on them,” said Conte.

“There has been discussion about eliminating magnet transportation but no decision has been reached at this time. There is traction on the Board of Education for the elimination of all but mandated transportation (Program Improvement and Special Education) and there has been a call for staff to produce a plan that would phase out over a two-year period. There are other issues involving high schools which make the immediate demise of HS busing not particularly palatable (athletics, site capacities, etc.),” added Price.