🚍 Jackson Township to charge for late bus rides

🚍 School still dealing with massive loss of state aid

🚍 Other districts watching closely

Many families in Jackson Township are being asked to put up hundreds of dollars to cover the cost of bussing for after-school activities.

Jackson school officials have been forced to get creative as they deal with and $18 million budget shortfall and pay-for bussing is the latest effort to close that gap.

Parents of middle and high school students will now be charged a per season subscription fee for late bus transportation.

The fee for middle school students of $55 per season. The fee for high school students is $95 per season.

School officials have capped the fees at $285 per family per year.

Late bussing had been provided free of charge for students who joined after-school clubs and played sports.

READ MORE: NJ forces Jackson school district to make $18M in drastic cuts 

Blame it on the state

Jackson school officials are still stinging from massive cuts in state aid that amount to millions of dollars over the last few years.

The Board of Education had rejected a school budget with massive cuts in July to bridge an $18 million budget gap.

However, a state monitor ordered the implementation of that budget just days later in a move Superintendent Nicole Pormelli said was "heartbreaking."

Included in that budget was the closure of Rosenauer Elementary School, the elimination of 70 positions, reduced spending on athletics and an end to courtesy and late buses.

"We are bound by statutes that say no matter how many millions of dollars in funding we have lost and no matter how much our circumstances, costs and student needs have changed over the past seven years, and no matter how responsibly we have acted to keep this district afloat during this overwhelming loss of state aid, we must present a balanced budget," Pormelli said.

School officials are now offering the late bus service, but it comes with a cost.

Many parents say they will still look for alternative transportation options, like carpooling, to avoid having to pay.

Jackson not alone

The Jackson Township School district is not alone in dealing with massive cuts to the amount of state aid they receive.

Dozens of districts have been struggling to come up with ways to bridge large spending gaps.

Bussing is one of the biggest expenses many districts have to figure out, and the elimination of courtesy bussing for students that live within walking distance of a school has been a frequent target of cuts.

Other districts are now watching Jackson to see if the idea of charging for late bussing is an option they will consider moving forward.

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