Currently, the Burlington School District guarantees that all children can get to school in a safe and environmentally friendly manner, by providing bus service, free of charge. This is a practice that gets students to school on time, ready to learn, and back home again.

On October 23rd, the District announced that families who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch will have to begin paying $150 per year per student in order to ride the bus to school.

While those families who qualify for free and reduced lunch will still be able to ride the buses, the proposed fee will still be a hardship for many working families. It will result in more cars on the road, and more students late to class--or not coming to school at all.

Burlington has made great strides in making sure that all students, regardless of ability to pay, have access to technology and school breakfasts and lunches. Charging some students for bus service to get to school is a step in the wrong direction,  This is a tax on parents based on where they live.

Burlington has also been a leader on solutions to global climate change. Charging students to ride the bus will lead to increased car usage, creating more carbon emissions, parking problems and traffic.