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PSS assures children of free bus rides
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Posted on Feb 13 2005
By MARCONI CALINDAS
REPORTER
Parents don’t have to worry about getting charged for the school bus rides of their children, Education associate commissioner David M. Borja said.
Borja was reacting to a proposal of charging of bus rides for children, which was raised during the monthly Board of Education meeting held last Feb. 3.
He said the law provides that children are given means of transportation to pick them up from their homes going to school and vice-versa.
“This will never happen, said Borja” He said that the suggestion was raised only as a last resort in order to help PSS defray the cost of maintaining the day-to-day operations of its fleet of school buses.
PSS school buses are now down to eight, from the 11 late last year because the other three are in the shop for repairs, Borja added.
Borja also volunteered that there are four special education school buses, which are 9-passenger types, for the use of school children with disabilities on Saipan.
Borja denied the issue of charging students for bus rides, but said that fees would indeed be collected if students are going off for excursions—but would be minimal.
“We can ask the private school students to help us with the cost of the fuel for excursion where it requires extra fuel,” he said.
PSS said that that spends at least $90,000 to $100,000 per year for gas of the school buses.
Borja said PSS is currently running its second bidding for the four 66-capacity buses, and eight 10-passenger vans.
PSS is also going to release the result of its first bidding on additional three 66-passenger capacity buses and 14 10-passenger capacity vans.
He said PSS is still optimistic on the acquisition of the new buses for the sake of the children. He said that if PSS finally acquires 15 buses for the 15 public schools on Saipan, the bus problem will be solved and if funding continues to be provided then no such suggestion will be ever raised again.
