Schools
School Bus Fees to Rise
The cost for an annual bus pass will go up next year from $520 to $550, school staff says.
The cost of a bus pass will be greater next school year.
The unanimously approved an increase of bus fees Tuesday.
The cost of an annual round-trip pass will rise from $520 to $550, and an annual one-way pass will go up from $260 to $275, according to a staff report.
Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Next year, the district will likely offer semester passes. A round-trip semester pass will cost $285, and a one-way pass will cost $147.
"With the increase of price, we need to give parents more payment options," said Jason Osbourn, the director of transportation.
Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
A single ride pass will rise from $3.25 to $4.41, according to the report.
Because of the fee hike, Temecula has one of the most expensive bus passes in the state. Only Poway costs more, at $560 for an annual round-trip pass, said Lori Ordway-Peck, the assistant superintendent of business services.
The increase is necessary because the state severely underfunds Temecula's transportation due to a technicality of the stipulations under which the district was incorporated, Ordway-Peck said.
"It's a very unfair system," she said.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.