Among the considerations when looking at school districts: bus fees (Attleboro: 2014, transfer)

[Parsec]

Nice find, I never realized so many towns were free. In Sudbury it's free in K-8 if you live more than 2 miles away (over 50% of students take the bus) and for all HS kids. I think the high bus fees in Wellesley are causing parents to drop their kids off at school (yes, even in Wellesley they want to save money), which causes a huge traffic jams. It's due to the small lots that their elementary schools sit on. Cars are overflowing onto the main roads every morning waiting to turn into the school. I feel like this affects Wellesley more than it does other towns with schools that are tucked away in residential neighborhoods.

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

Except the cost of the schools is rolled into the taxes. If you're going to come up with a fee and say that you're charging per pupil then charge per pupil. Don't put a ridiculous cap on it. You might as well just charge a flat fee per family if you're going to cap it at just two students. Otherwise, make it a true per pupil fee. I just think the idea of it is ridiculous.

Sports fees are also capped in my town per family.

[wickedripeplum]

Unless a ton has changed, Arlington basically doesn't have school buses.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by wickedripeplum

Unless a ton has changed, Arlington basically doesn't have school buses.

Looks like only 1 school (Bishop) and the middle school have a bus.

[mp775]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

Frankly, I'd prefer that there be safe, walkable routes to school. If there are safe routes to walk, I'd seriously consider driving my kids in the morning and letting them walk home.

Why not let them walk in the morning?

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by mp775

Why not let them walk in the morning?

I would. It's just my own laziness and the fact that I'm not a morning person that would probably make it so that I would not be up early enough to get my kids out of the house early enough for them to walk many days and I would have to drive them. (I just never have any additional, spare minutes in the morning. Theoretically, yes I should be able to get up 10 minutes earlier to get myself and the kids ready, but somehow in reality that doesn't seem to pan out.) In an ideal world, I'd have them walk both ways, provided the route was safe.

[KellyCrash]

Then there was that one day when it was -25 with the windchill & they didn't cancel school..... Yeah! Walking is a great idea.

[kingeorge]

Many school kids walk to school with parents or alone, but in the dead of the winter with cold, snow piles and ice, it not always comfortable or safe unless you live very close by. Walking is definitely little more limited then. Also it gets dark very early. Some flexibility is helpful. I know many parents who pay fee only one way trip to school, morning or afternoon depending on what they need. Some do both, but it is not set in stone, and only way to do it.

[chicagoliz]

I would drive them if it were not safe to walk, and if it were extremely cold, or raining heavily. Right now my kids ride the bus, and they walk to the bus stop if the weather is okay, but otherwise I drive them to/from the bus and they can wait in the car for the bus if it's exceedingly cold or pouring rain. Driving them to school isn't much more effort. So, for minimal additional work for me, I'd probably prefer to save the $700 or whatever it is, unless there was some other compelling reason to ride the bus that I am not aware of right now.

Do the places that have bus fees allow you to pay 1/2 and only use the bus one way? I would have assumed it was all or nothing.

[mp775]

Originally Posted by KellyCrash

Then there was that one day when it was -25 with the windchill & they didn't cancel school..... Yeah! Walking is a great idea.

...because one oddball day that happens once every ten years should dictate your daily routine.