Fund set up to help PUSD parents pay bus fees
The Poway Unified School District Foundation is rolling out a new fund to save the regular education bus program from being eliminated this fall.
Money from the fund, being called Transport All Kids Everyday (TAKE), will be used to help supplement bus pass fees for families unable to make the payment of $575 for the school year.
In May, the school board approved bumping up fees by $136 from the rate of $439 to help cover the cost of running the transportation system.
That plan, set by the board, hinges on getting 2,800, or about 85 percent of riders’ families, to pay the new bus pass rate, said Chuck Lord, president of the drivers’ union, Service Employees International Union.
As of Tuesday afternoon, fees for 1,320 passes had been paid, with roughly 50 percent of families opting for a deferred payment plan that requires them to pay $315 by Monday Aug. 2 and $260 by Nov. 1, said Dawn Everly, coordinator of the bus pass fees.
Uncertain if parents could come up with that higher pass fees, bus drivers decided to brainstorm fundraising ideas of their own, Lord said.
One of those ideas is a breakfast and auction, hosted by the PUSD Foundation. It will be held from 7:30 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 5 at Cafe Merlot, 13330 Paseo del Verano Norte in Rancho Bernardo.
A $10 donation is suggested, which will go toward the TAKE fund. For reservations, call the restaurant at 858-592-7785.
Approaching corporate as well as business owners also seemed to be a good idea, said PUSD Foundation President Toni Kraft, also owner of Cafe Merlot.
Drivers are passing out flyers, while Kraft and others are contacting local businesses.
“We’re reaching out to corporate and business sponsors and getting some amazing results, Kraft said.
“It’s also the community wrapping its arms around the problem, finding a solution,” she added. “If buses go away, they won’t come back.”
If PUSD eliminates the regular education bus service, it would save $750,000, the amount that currently comes from the district’s General Fund. District officials were not available to provide the total cost of providing regular bus service to students.
Poway Unified’s SEIU members passed the hat among their members. Kraft’s husband Rick Kraft, a PUSD bus driver, contributed $500 for the fund, Kraft confirmed.
Zonar Systems, which provides GPS systems for Poway Unified buses, has pledged $3,000, while Napa Auto Parts in Poway also promised to chip in, Kraft added.
For those who want to mail in a donation, it may be sent to: PUSD Foundation, TAKE Fund, 13626 Twin Peaks Road, Poway, CA 92064. For details, call 858-668-4041.
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