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Should local, state and federal taxpayers be responsible for paying to bus all students to public school?
| Response | Percent | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | 56% | 476 | |
| Yes | 38% | 328 | |
| Not sure | 4% | 41 | |
| Total | 845 | ||
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cletus26 (anonymous) says…
i've been to a lot of cities where the busing and schooling fees are none. here in lawrence the folks are paying for something regarding school all the time. i never understood that and still don't understand.
TopJayhawk (anonymous) says…
Cletus26
The money has to come from somewhere. If you don't get tagged for "fees" then you must pay higher taxes. Money does not just magically appear.
dlkrm (anonymous) says…
Right. Money doesn't just magically appear. That's why governments must cut back!
gumby73 (anonymous) says…
We're already paying taxes for the "T" that only 13 people use, why don't we integrate the "T" with the schools bus program.
Gootsie (anonymous) says…
Hey - this generation will determine how we live in our golden years. Let's make sure they get to school!!!
jumpin_catfish (anonymous) says…
You want me to pay for their shoes and pencils too. I like the T idea........not really.
lristh1230 (anonymous) says…
Thank you Gootsie and bronze for looking at the big picture!!
Remember folks my kids that ride the bus that we had to pay for, will be helping to support those who will retire. Just as I am now working to help others that are now retired. Come on USD 497 wake up, and get with the program.
sunshine_noise (anonymous) says…
i've been to a lot of cities where the busing and schooling fees are none. here in lawrence the folks are paying for something regarding school all the time. i never understood that and still don't understand.
i agree with you 'cletus' - my question is where does all the money go? still they need more and more. it seems like its never enough.
The money has to come from somewhere. If you don't get tagged for “fees” then you must pay higher taxes. Money does not just magically appear.
'topjayhawk' lawrence already pays higher taxes then other small towns. i say bull - primary education should always be a priority in the city/state budget before high falutin salaries and 'impress everyone events, decorations, etc. kids are always put last.
We're already paying taxes for the “T” that only 13 people use, why don't we integrate the “T” with the schools bus program.
not a bad idea... gumby - student should only have to pay a .25
Irish (Leslie Swearingen) says…
gumby73 You lie, you are either deliberately lying or very very ignorant. I have been one the bus when there was standing room only.
Of course you will see an empty, or near empty bus at the end of the route, because everyone has gotten off at that point.
I see a lot, and I mean a lot, of college kids who are going to Walmart, and school children on the 7 and 8.
morganlefay (anonymous) says…
Hey, why don't the parents pay for it?! Parents should be responsible for their own kids, not the rest of society.
kmat (anonymous) says…
Thank you morgan!!!!! Getting your kids to school should be the parents responsibility. Just like before and after school care is the parents responsibility. Society's responsibility is educating the kids, not transporting them around. If parents need the bus in order for their kids to attend school, then they can pay for the bus.
dandelion (anonymous) says…
If the parents work, why aren't these kids enrolled in before and after day care? Day cares take the kids to schools in vans. I've seen them. And if the parents don't work, why can't they take the kids? Why not form car pools with other parents?
AreUNorml (anonymous) says…
it seems to me that Lawrence has a pretty good school system. This is in part because there are a lot of fees that the families have to pay for. how about going into some "free" schools and see what types of education they are getting. most inner city schools are "free". We have grown up in a culture of government owned schools. I'm more inclined to believe that a parent who has to pay fees for their child's education is more apt to be involved in what that child is doing in school (ie, i spent $40 on books, you better freaking read it).
There are a whole slew of people who don't have kids, don't want kids. Why should these people have to foot the bill for your children?
ladyoneill (anonymous) says…
That's a really stupid question because of the "all". Why on earth would a kid living a block from a school be bussed. There needs to be a distance limit. Personally I thought the 2.5 miles was too far for little kids to walk twice a day but at least it was a limit. I rode a bus in elementary school even though my mom didn't work and could have taken me. My parents were glad to have their taxes paying for the service but come junior and senior high they started a carpool and that worked, too. But, back then, none of the moms I knew worked. Times have changed and a lot of parents can't take their kids to school because they work. Buses are necessary and I'm glad my taxes pay for them.
kharrisbob (Ken Harris) says…
I see the "why should I pay for someone else's kids" question all the time. It seems only a few posters here see the big picture. These kids are the people who will pay taxes and make decisions about our society in the future. They belong to their parents and are the responsibility of their parents. But the government and society has a vested interest in an educated and employable workforce.
It is in all of our best interests that these kids get to school safely. They *should* be able to walk or bike to school safely. But not every street has sidewalks and not every intersection has a crossing guard. And the budget cuts made no mention of adding crossing guards in areas that may now need them.
beawolf (anonymous) says…
Irish (Irish Swearingen),
Gumby always manages to get a dig in at the "T" whenever he can. He will lie to get his point across. I ride the transit as well and it seems ridership is up.
gumby73 (anonymous) says…
Beawolf, so you know this is my first post ever on this site, the fact that you ride the T is fine, but it is very obvious that it is not being utilized to its fullest potential. It makes since that instead of having taxpayers pay for two bus transit systems that we find a way to make one work for both.
beawolf (anonymous) says…
Gumby73,
Sorry, must have you confused with gumby72
lristh1230 (anonymous) says…
morganlefay, summerguuurl008
Our kids will help pay for your retirement as we are helping to pay for our elders!! SO that is why you should not be commenting about not paying for kids that you do not have.
workinghard (anonymous) says…
There is no word on whether there will be crossing guards at all in Lawrence next year. How can parents make a plan if the city won't say if there will be guards. Why not have a different distance limit for elementary kids? I think the Legends pays First Student to send a bus out there for their tenents. Maybe the Prarie Park and Schwegler parents could check how much it would be although it may not be practical.
kansasmom (anonymous) says…
Lawrence should have a hub system like Eudora does. Seems to work just fine. Only "country" kids ride the bus.
dandelion (anonymous) says…
Do the buses go from neighborhood to neighborhood to pick up kids? Why can't they run a shuttle bus from a central location. Yes, the kids would have to walk, but not across dangerous streets. As for child molesters, most of those are known by the children, often relatives, not strangers. Teach your children how to behave if approached, or they will be victims when they are adults.
kansasdaughter (anonymous) says…
Iristh1230 & like-minded others-
I doubt that 5000+/- kids from Lawrence will sway policy when we are retired and they are adults. Are you sure that the retired people we support now were always 'pro-kid"?
The T could be used if the routes ran on the main streets and not in a loop that ends up downtown.
none2 (anonymous) says…
Irish (Irish Swearingen) says…
gumby73 You lie, you are either deliberately lying or very very ignorant. I have been one the bus when there was standing room only.
Of course you will see an empty, or near empty bus at the end of the route, because everyone has gotten off at that point.
I see a lot, and I mean a lot, of college kids who are going to Walmart, and school children on the 7 and 8
=============================
Yea right. We all only get to see the buses at the end (or near the end) of their routes. Otherwise, everybody who sees the Em-T is either lying, blind, prejudice against the tiny people who ride the bus, or don't look fast enough before everybody inside ducks.
Katara (anonymous) says…
kmat (Anonymous) says…
Thank you morgan!!!!! Getting your kids to school should be the parents responsibility. Just like before and after school care is the parents responsibility. Society's responsibility is educating the kids, not transporting them around. If parents need the bus in order for their kids to attend school, then they can pay for the bus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It certainly goes to show that many who are posting on this thread have no children that attend in our school district.
Parents (whose kids live under the 2.5 mile boundary) already had to pay the bus. If you had a child that falls under that category, you would have known that because you would have received the information in the mail every summer.
merrill (anonymous) says…
No to the busing. Hardship situations yes.
However taxpayers could be funding the entire academic costs - books,fees etc etc. so as to prevent those less fortunate not to be feeling out of place.