Posted: July 23, 2009

More than 50 people, many holding signs saying "Restore Private School Busing," turned out at Wednesday's Franklin School Board meeting in the hopes board members would do what their signs said.

Those people went home disappointed.

Despite the turnout and pleas from families who would be affected by the board's decision to cut busing to private schools, School Board President Dave Szychlinski said there will likely be more budget reductions made and that earlier cuts would not be restored.

Szychlinski cited the state budget that resulted in a 15 percent decrease in state aid. The district was not anticipating as sharp of a decrease, Szychlinski said, and will now have to figure out how to make up those dollars.

Nobody is happy about the cuts, he said, but in a tough economic climate the district has no choice but to make painful decisions like this one.

Last month, the board voted to cancel busing for private schools as a way to save money. By state law, the district will instead make payments to those families to help them make other arrangements.

Parents at Wednesday's meeting said the lack of busing jeopardizes their children's safety and is unfair considering that many of them are Franklin residents - and pay taxes to the district.

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