Please do not cut high school transportation from the Ann Arbor Public School District's budget. We realize all cuts will be difficult and painful, but cutting high school transportation impacts students from low-income households disproportionally. Many parents don't have reliable transportation, have inflexible work schedules or cannot afford the cost of gas or bus fares. Cutting high school transportation will negatively affect school attendance and high school graduation - which has long-term implications for individual students and the larger community.
Why is this important?
The Ann Arbor Public School District's Board of Education is forced to make $8.76 million dollars in cuts to its annual budget. One cut under serious consideration is eliminating all high school bus service. Many students live very far from their "home" high schools- in some cases more than an hour's walk. While this affects all students, the impact for students from low-income families will be disproportionate. Getting all students to school safely and efficiently should be a priority. If students don't attend school, they cannot graduate. The future for high school drop-outs is a bleak one- and ultimately we all will pay a heavy price.
