76.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesSIMMONDS DEFENDS POSITION ON SCHOOL BUS FEES

SIMMONDS DEFENDS POSITION ON SCHOOL BUS FEES

Education Commissioner Ruby Simmonds said Friday that while the fees to be charged next year for school bus transportation may be hard for some families, without the fees there might not be bus service at all.
Earlier this week Simmonds announced that elementary school students would have to pay $5 a week and secondary students $10 a week for school bus service next year, with certain discounts for families with more than one child riding the buses.
The move was legal, Simmonds said Friday. "We are allowed by law to have students pay for bus service and for school lunch," she said.
However, she said, she has no plans to start charging students for school lunches.
Responding to Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen's threat to bring a class-action lawsuit against the administration if the order isn't rescinded, Simmonds said, "Any person has the right to take anyone in the community to court." But she added that Hansen, as a legislator, has a responsibility to appropriate funds for education.
"If the money isn't there," the commissioner said, she will have to do whatever is necessary to cover expenses.
"I've had a few parents say it's going to be hard," Simmonds said. But others, she added, have supported the move and have urged her not to "back down."

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.