Columbus City Schools may cut busing for high school students as the district faces intense financial pressures following state and federal funding cuts and the cost of transporting private school students.
Columbus spends about 6% of its $1.8 billion budget on transportation. The district's budget for transportation has ballooned in recent years as it lost bus drivers and had to pay contractors more money to transport students.
At a committee meeting on Thursday, the board recommended eliminating the requirement to transport students in grades 9 through 12. A final decision will have to be made by the full Columbus Board of Education at a future meeting.
School officials say cutting high school busing could save the district upwards of $7 million a year. The district is eyeing other changes to the school lottery system and to school start and end times that the district says could save an additional $20 million.
CCS Superintendent Angela Chapman said the cost of transportation can't come at the expense of educating students.
"Right now, we're protecting transportation. (A) $100 million budget to support transportation. And I would argue that our priorities need to shift," Chapman said.
The district is also considering using Central Ohio Transit Authority buses to transport students.
Chapman said it's costly to transport students when they're going from one side of Columbus to another, rather than to their neighborhood schools.
"We may have been able to do that you know, years ago when we had 200 additional drivers, but this is a different day. And so we can't continue to provide that service to our families at the detriment of our core business, which is educating children," Chapman said.
CCS is in the midst of a financial crisis after voting to cut $50 million from its budget in August. The district will spend more than the revenue it is bringing in this year and may be out of money by 2029.
The $50 million that was cut could alleviate this pressure, but the school district is still considering cuts to staff and possibly more building closures.
The district is facing several pressures that are forcing these cuts, including reductions from state and federal spending. CCS has lost hundreds of bus drivers in recent years and has become more reliant on contractors to transport students, which is more costly.
CCS may also get extra penalties for falling out of compliance with state requirements to transport charter and private schools students.
CCS Board President Michael Cole told WOSU on Friday his position is trying to ensure the sustainability of the district long term.
Cole said he wants to provide relief so the district doesn't have to go to the ballot again for funding.
"Most importantly is to direct resources in a way that supports our programs and our academic aims. Every effort we have towards academic aims, that we are diverting resources there to our classrooms and elsewhere to ensure that kids have what they need to be successful," Cole said.
Cole said the "awkward benefit" of this discussion of cuts is getting to reimagine some spaces within the district. He gave the example of declining enrollment by trying to get back to a focus on neighborhood schools.
Cole said he is not beholden to any specific solution, but he is focused on transportation for every student and high quality education.
Cole said it is important to ensure the students have a way to get to school. Not every student in grades 9 to 12 has access to a car or an easy way to get to school.
"I live in a neighborhood that does not have a lot of sidewalks. I am incredibly concerned about that and I know my colleagues are," Cole said.
Cole said he wants to avoid conversations around cuts being focused on anxiety and fear and to focus on problem solving.
Cole said there will be ongoing discussions about cutting transportation through November.
