By William C. Singleton III
Journal contributor
The Hoover school board recently unanimously approved a fee schedule for students needing bus transportation to city schools in the 2014-2015 school year pending U.S. District Court approval.
The school system plans to charge non-poverty students the most. Families with students who receive reduced-price lunches or free lunches would pay less. Families with multiple students who attend Hoover schools will be given a discount.
The monthly cost schedule for student riders is:
Non-poverty riders: $40.75; two riders, $28.53; three or more, $21.40
Reduced-lunch riders: $20.38; two riders, $14.27; three or more, $10.70
Free-lunch riders: $14.88; two riders, $10.42; three or more riders, $7.82
Over the past few years, Hoover school officials have been grappling with dwindling funds and an increasing enrollment which prompted the school board in July to cut bus service for the 2014-2015 school year. After a community uproar, the school board in December rescinded its decision but continue pursuing a fee-based transportation system.
The board’s April 17 vote is the latest action by the school system to address its transportation problems.
Hoover School Superintendent Andy Craig said the school system has been in constant dialogue with the U.S. Justice Department about its transportation situation.
“We have arrived at what we think is a mutually agreeable fee structure,” he said.
Board Attorney Donald Sweeney said the school system had to convince the justice department that it indeed was facing a “fiscal downslide.” The justice department has approved the plan in concept but wants Hoover school officials to provide data on the effectiveness of its approach to solving its transportation issues.
“What’s really important to them and to us is to have a methodology and process to monitor what’s happening–all aspects of it: the efficiency of the transportation, the ridership, how we are addressing the transportation challenges of all of our students,” Sweeney said. “They want to know how (we’re) going to monitor all that so they will know we’re doing a good job, and we will know.”
The U.S. District Court must approve the plan because it’s connected to a longstanding desegregation consent decree, Sweeney said. He added he expects the courts to decide the matter this summer before the start of the new school year.
“To get the approval of the court, we have to have enough flesh on the bone so the court can look at it and say you’ve got a good process, you’re going to monitor it and you have to communicate it,” he said. “We hope the court will say we like what you all are doing.”
The proposed fees are expected to generate about $2 million for transportation, Craig said.
Students participating in extracurricular activities will have to pay for bus service also, but that fee has not been factored into the current plan. That can be worked out later, the superintendent said.
Hoover school board member Donna Frazier said the justice department isn’t the only entity monitoring the school system’s transportation solution.
“There are other school districts I feel certain will follow suit if everything works the way we’re hoping that it does,” she said, citing Mobile and Huntsville. “They’re very much interested in how this is going to play out because they too are looking for ways to cut and they too are interested in doing the same exact thing Hoover is considering. So for me, as a school board member, I am thrilled we’re on the forefront leading the challenge on this.”
However, several residents spoke against the proposal.
Arnold Singer asked if the school system would consider a monthly scholarship award to families who can’t afford to pay for bus service. He said a fee-based transportation plan would present an “undue hardship” on such families.
Hoover resident Dan Fulton said he agreed.
“You understand there are some horrific hardships being placed on the residents of Hoover,” he told school officials.
Fulton also acknowledged the school system’s funding problem and encouraged the city council and the Hoover City Schools Foundation, a private fundraising organization for city schools, to help solve the system’s funding crisis.
“The city must do more,” Fulton said. “I would really like the foundation to do more.”
State schools Superintendent Tommy Bice said last week issued a written statement saying that the plan to charge students a fee to ride school buses needs “to be vetted fully through all legal avenues.”
In his statement, Bice wrote that he is concerned over reports he has received that the Hoover community has become divided over the financial challenge.
“I would urge all interested parties to come together with Mr. Craig and the Board in the development of sound and long-term solutions to the challenge, realizing that sacrifices will be required to ensure the financial stability of the system,” Bice wrote. “It is at these times of challenge that great communities rally, not divide, and I have full confidence that will be the case in Hoover.”