State Senator wants Constitutional Amendment to Permit Bus Fees

Here's a Gazette article on today's news that State Senator Rich Madaleno, Chair of the Montgomery County Delegation has introduced legislation that he thinks will permit MCPS to charge students fees to ride school buses.

Of course, the legislation would require a Constitutional Amendment as the Maryland Constitution guarantees students a free public education.

The Maryland Court of Appeals has already stated that "transportation is an integral part of education as we know it today."

Even the Board of Education's own attorney has told the Board that a bus fee would probably violate the Maryland Constitution's guarantee of a free public education.

But hey, what's the Maryland Constitution anyway but some moldy, old document!

Gazette: Bill would allow Montgomery school system to charge magnet students for transportation

Sen. Madaleno says it gives school system options; public hearing set for Dec. 6

Montgomery's public school students in magnet, immersion and other programs could be charged for bus rides to their schools if a bill proposed by the county's state legislators passes next year.

Sen. Richard S. Madaleno (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington, who drafted the bill, said he introduced it to give Montgomery County Public Schools a method to charge students in optional regular education programs for transportation provided by the school system.

Last year, as an option among broad budget cuts, the Board of Education considered the elimination of transportation for students attending magnet programs. It later backed off after an outcry from parents and students. The cuts would have saved the school system $4.9 million, or $1,026 for each of the 4,775 students in the programs, during a year in which the operating budget was cut from $2.2 billion in fiscal 2010 to $2.1 billion in fiscal 2011.

The proposed bill would repeal a Maryland law that prohibits Montgomery County from charging for transportation of students to certain programs, such as magnet, foreign language immersion and International Baccalaureate. Madaleno said Montgomery County is the only county in Maryland prohibited from charging a fee to students for transportation in these situations.

"Right now their hands are tied," he said...

 ...Madaleno said school officials did not ask for the bill, but said he had conversations with school officials about the situation. Instead of simply considering whether to cut the bus service, the repeal of the prohibition would allow the bus service to be funded and continue, Madaleno said.

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UPDATE 11/8/10:  Montgomery Co. House Delegation: Bus fee an infringement on right to free education