Catching a ride to and from school on the T may be a viable option for some local children.

The tight funding situation that has forced the Lawrence school district to start charging many families for school bus service may provide a worthwhile new mission and an unexpected windfall for the city’s public transportation system.

Officials of Lawrence’s T recently issued a call to motorists to be cautious around bus stops and particularly to watch for children during summer months. The city’s transit administrator said she hoped the T, which now is carrying about 700 riders each day, will see increased usage during the summer months while children are out of school.

It would be wonderful if her hopes became a reality.

Providing transportation around town for youngsters always was one of the highest uses envisioned for the Lawrence public transportation system. With many parents working, many young people don’t have easy access to activities in other parts of town. Especially during the summer, children old enough to handle the bus but too young to drive can catch a ride to the swimming pool, the library, a recreation center, a church event or any number of other activities the community would like to see them involved in.

And next fall, some children may be able to make use of the bus for an even more essential trip back and forth to school.

As expected, a new school district policy that will reduce the number of children who receive free bus transportation to school has caused an understandable outcry from affected parents. Beginning this fall, the district will provide free transportation only to children who live 2.5 miles from school, as required by state law. Other children will be charged $120 per semester to ride the bus.

Much of the criticism being leveled at the school district seems unfair. It is a basic responsibility of parents, not school officials, to make sure students arrive safely at school and travel safely home. Parents who work must make arrangements for their children to be cared for before and after school, and it’s not unreasonable to expect them to make similar arrangements for transportation. The school district, in fact, isn’t required to provide ANY transportation system for children who live closer than the required distance, and it is a special accommodation for them to provide that service even for a fee.

Many older Lawrence residents probably are puzzled about the level of concern about busing. How was it that years ago so many students used bicycles to get to and from school or walked considerable distances and seemed to get along just fine?

That said, at least some parents have looked into having their children ride the T to school and found that buying a city bus pass would represent a significant saving over the $120 fee that would be charged by the school district. Riding the T obviously isn’t going to work for every student, but for some, it could be an attractive option. It doesn’t hurt the school district, which probably is barely breaking even on bus fees, and it benefits families and perhaps the T.

If the T can do anything to help fill school transportation needs, it might give local taxpayers a little warmer feeling about their underutilized and heavily subsidized public bus system.