School Bus Fees

The possibility of charging a sliding scale fee for transportation has been studied closely at both the elementary and secondary levels. The state of Massachusetts requires districts to provide free transportation to students who do not live within 1.5 miles of their school. After extensive research—accounting for factors such as the number of students who live within the 1.5 mile parameter and a sliding scale fee for students who receive free- or reduced-price lunch—the estimated net income from transportation fees is not significant enough to offset the cost of implementing such a system.