Tough choices for taxpayers
Students are dropped off by bus at Nesaquake Middle School in St. James (September 7, 2011) Credit: Barry Sloan
In Smithtown voters have spoken, and more students will take the bus to school.
By an overwhelming margin, voters decided in a referendum Monday to reinstate the district's old busing standards, providing transportation to all elementary school students; all middle school and high school students who live beyond one mile of their buildings; and all private school students within 20 miles of their schools.
Voters in May opted to tighten rules on who qualified for district-funded transportation. This vote means about 1,500 kids will be back on the bus.
Smithtown residents can dedicate resources as they see fit, and they don't support kids walking to school on roads they say are dangerous. They want the kids on buses, and that's fine. Identifying what we want is the easy part, though.
The tough problem for Smithtown -- and for every district, municipality, county, state and the nation -- is deciding what we can do without, or finding creative but cheaper ways to provide what's needed.
The busing change will cost the district $800,000 annually, and the money must be found. But there isn't much schools do that we want them to stop doing. Every class, activity and athletic cut is met with howls of protest, and it's not surprising district leaders looked to their transportation budget for savings.
The choices are hard, and getting harder. Sooner or later, we're all going to have to decide exactly what it is we can live without.
