Washington Twp., NJ Cuts Back on School Bus Services

Public schools in Washington Township (Gloucester County), NJ are implementing new busing policies when classes resume next month.

KYW's David Madden reports that state cuts in school funding have left the 8,500-student district about $8 million short.

So Dr. Cheryl Simone, the district superintendent, says a lot of things had to go:

"We reduced staff. We increased class size. We looked at our athletic policies. We looked at our music program.  We looked at a lot of different areas, and one of the areas was courtesy busing."

...which had been in effect for elementary school students living more than a mile away from the school.

Now, she says, that limit is set at the state-mandated two miles -- a change affecting about 200 kids.

Busing will still be provided to all kindergarten students and anyone who must cross a busy highway like the Black Horse Pike.

Simone says they may offer busing for some of the 900 students now walking (up from 700) whose parents want to pay for it -- if the service is not cost prohibitive.

(File photo)