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Faith School Transport Subsidy
Posted on 30/05/2007
Loughborough Newsdesk
Plans to help hard-up families meet the cost of transport to faith schools will be discussed by the County Councils ruling Cabinet in June. The outcome of these decisions will effect some Loughborough families.
Leicestershire County Council is considering setting up a hardship fund, limiting the maximum transport cost for larger families and the timing of introducing any charges.
The news comes after the County Council consulted the public on proposals to reduce school transport subsidies.
The County Council proposed to:
- Charge pupils who use home to school transport to attend faith schools £240 per year from 2008, to contribute to the actual cost of £585 per pupil, per year, with the charge waived for low income families
- Increase the charge for post-16 transport from £60 to £180 from September this year and to £240 from September 2008, to contribute towards the actual cost of £426 per pupil, per year
- To introduce a minimum fare-paying charge of £180 from September this year and £240 from September 2008, for pupils who currently pay 17.5p per mile for using spare places on school transport.
- Invest £160,000 of the income annually in 20 more CCTV cameras and two bus monitors, to tackle misbehaviour on buses and possibly provide travel vouchers for post-16 students.
Following the consultation, the Cabinet is being asked to consider:
- Ensuring that families who send several children to faith schools only pay a maximum charge equivalent to two children - £580 per year from September 2008
- Setting up a £20,000 hardship fund, administered by the Catholic Diocese, to support transport costs for families just above the threshold for paying charges.
- Consider introducing a charge only for new pupils starting at faith schools from September 2008.
Ivan Ould, the Cabinet member responsible for school transport, said: "We have a responsibility to Council Taxpayers to review our £9 million school transport costs, due to our difficult funding situation.
"I must stress that, although we are considering introducing charges, a substantial subsidy will remain.
"However, we have listened to the concerns of those parents who may have difficultly in meeting these costs and Im pleased to say we are proposing to offer some help.
The Cabinet will consider a report on the issue on June 4.