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Central Point faces busing issue BY VICKI GUARINO CENTRAL POINT -- As school officials make their way through a realignment of school enrollment boundaries, they set the stage for the next districtwide shuffle -- school bus routes. Like the boundary line changes, affecting some 200 elementary school students, the bus issue is driven by growing enrollment and tightening budgets. The district faces a shortage of buses to cover routes into new Central Point subdivisions and to reach rural Sams Valley and Gold Hill. Tight finances forced the district to cancel plans to buy three new buses this year. To solve the problem, district officials expect to change bus routes beginning in the fall, likely eliminating some service. Superintendent Mike McClain said Wednesday that students living close to district schools probably will find themselves without a bus to ride. He was echoing the warnings that school board members made Tuesday as they reviewed the maps for proposed enrollment boundary changes. That proposal is expected to be approved by the board April 27. "To a person, board members indicated support for it," McClain said." During the meeting, a child-care provider and one of the provider's clients opposed the plan because it would result in a a bus route change that would eliminate a student's transportation to child care. No other opposition was raised, McClain said. The enrollment plan generally moves students from crowded Central Point city elementary schools to elementary schools in Gold Hill and Sams Valley, which have seen enrollment declines in the past few years. McClain said the boundary changes should somewhat improve district bus scheduling by cutting duplicative runs. "We have buses running side by side almost," he said. But more route changes are needed, he said. The bus fleet hasn't been able to keep pace with residential growth. Officials are having to extend runs into new subdivisions, but have been unable to afford new buses for the expansion. Historically, Central Point has purchased a couple of new buses every three years, at a cost of $80,000-$100,000. The purchase plan had to be scrapped this year, however, because of tight finances. Although officials are faced with having to cut some services, McClain notes that the district has been providing more bus service than law requires. State law requires school districts to provide transportation to secondary grade students who live more than 1 miles from school, and primary students who live more than a mile from school. Central Point regularly makes runs for students who live within those limits -- especially in neighborhoods without sidewalks and on busy streets. "Safety is a big issue here," McClain said. Pedestrian safety will continue to be a concern when school officials begin examining ways to cut some busing to extend routes where they are required. The school board is expected to take up the busing issue beginning in May. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA