Fact vs Myth #1

Claim: The Taxpayers are literally being taken for a ride

Fact: Transportation students from Point A to Point B have increased. It is more expensive to transport students than it was ten or even five years ago. Costs have increased for a multitude of reasons, including school bus driver shortages. Janine Byrnes, the President of the School Transportation Services of New Jersey, answered questions about increasing costs of transportation services and school bus driver shortages in a winter, 2024 article. New Jersey Legislation N.J.A.C 6A:27, Student Transportation requires a Board of Education to provide coordinated transportation services. Transportation of students requires that District boards of education that receive State aid for preschool programs according to N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-54 shall also provide transportation to preschool students who live remote from their school of attendance. In Flemington-Raritan Regional School District, the District works expeditiously to keep transportation costs low using parent waivers of transportation for students. The District reduces transportation costs by using data from parents who enroll their children in preschool and choose to waive transportation services. 

The Flemington-Raritan Regional School District is pleased to provide an update regarding the Joint Transportation Committee and the bussing services provided to our community for the next school year. The Hunterdon Central Board of Education and the Flemington-Raritan Board of Education have worked together over decades to provide transportation for students in our combined districts by pooling resources and coordinating services. Last school year, the Hunterdon Central Board decided to terminate the existing Joint Transportation Agreement between our districts, effective at the end of this year. However, the current leadership from our respective districts has agreed to explore a new arrangement that would continue our longstanding cooperation to provide student transportation into the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. Both school boards are committed to ensuring that all eligible students receive the transportation they deserve at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayers. To that end, we anticipate that a new proposed agreement between Flemington-Raritan and Hunterdon Central will be presented to both Boards of Education in the very near future. We will share additional details regarding the new agreement once they are available, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with our partner district for years to come.

Tips on Overcoming Transportation Challenges