School Bus Changes Urged

Two members of a three-man school board subcommittee recommended yesterday that the Ann Arbor Public Schools fully subsidize the transportation costs of all school-age children whose families are receiving public assistance or who are eligible for federal Title I benefits - providing the family residence is Vh miles from the school attended. The subcommittee a 1 s o recommended that the board fully subsidize the transportation costs for all children living three or more miles from 'Both subsidies should begin by September of 1970, the subcommittee said. No cost figures were given for busing both groups of children. The subcommittee asked that the administration estímate the probable cost withrc 3ThyeS' majority report also urges that the school board aggressively pursue" negoüationf with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority to take over all physical busing of eligible ïcUlchildren, with the schoo board paying the AATA for these services. , The report further recommends that the subject of j ty busing (busing those children determined to be in danger from traffic and other ards when walking to school] be decided by the board as soon as the necessary data is available. A report on the hazardous areas is expected from a special Citizens' Advisory Committee in January. In a minority report, Trustee Cecil W. Warner recommended that a number of measures be explored further, including the feasibility and cost of busing all in-city school children who live 1% miles or more from school, and all school children whose families receive public assistance or Title I benefits. Warner said he could not recomm e n d implementation b y September, as the majority did, and said the alternatives should be studied in greater detail. The other members of the :ommittee were Charles H. 3ood and Ronald Bishop. The board subcommittee was ippointed in November to study various proposals to correct Lnjustices in the present school transportation system. Presently, the schools transport only those children who live outside the city and more than VÁ miles from school. This is because the schools are reimbursed by the state for these children only. Proposals studied by the subcommittee included one by Human Relations Director Ronald R. Edmonds that the schools provide free transportation for all school children i ing in the Mack, Jones, Bach, M i t c h e 1 1 , Burns Park and Northside attendance areas, which contain 73 per cent of the school district families receiving public assistance. A Hurón High transportation committee also suggested that the school board reimburse the AATA for all Huron students who ride the city buses and live I more than one mile from Huron. . The subcommittee asked that I the administration investígate a I number of questions relevant to I its recommendations, such as I cost estimates and feasibility. I The committee also asked that letters be written to Lansing, Flint and Kalamazoo asking about their transportation system. All three of these school systems bus more children than only those eligible for state reimbursement. Trustee Richard M. Wood urged that the board decide how much money it is willing to take out of the budget for transportation. He insisted that a price tag must be decided upon before serious negotiations with the AATA begin. School Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. told the board he thinks the present busing situation is "very inequitable." He said the schools should "either get out of the (busing) business altogether, or find more equitable methods of transportation." A letter from the Washtenaw Office of Economie Opportunity was read to the trustees, telling of that body's resolution urging the school board to provide full transportation subsidies for the children of all low-income families. The cost of riding a city bus, the OEO said ($40 per semester, per child) is "absolutely prohibitive" for low-income families.