Irvine : School Board Will Vote on Increase in Bus Fees

The board of education tonight will vote on a proposed increase in school bus fees and a plan to extend health insurance coverage to full-time day-care workers in cooperation with the Irvine Unified School District.

The five-member board is expected to approve a proposal to raise transportation fees charged bus riders from $100 to $125 a year. Ron Upton, assistant superintendent, said the increase, the first since the adoption of fees in 1981, is necessary because of about $1.5 million in budget cuts planned for the upcoming school year.

The fee increase would go into effect July 1. Parents qualified to receive bus passes either free or at reduced rates will continue to receive aid, Upton said. So far, “there has not been a single call” from parents protesting the increase, he said.

The board also will consider a proposal to permit participation in the district’s group medical and dental insurance program by full-time employees of private, nonprofit organizations providing before- and after-school day care to Irvine students.

Under a joint powers agreement with the city and the school district, nonprofit groups rent portable buildings on Irvine elementary school campuses to provide supervision for children whose parents work. The plan to be voted on tonight would allow up to two full-time employees per participating nonprofit organization to enroll in the district’s insurance plan.

The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. at school district headquarters, 5050 Barranca Parkway.