About 150 Boston area school kids were told to find their own way to school, as the state of Massachusetts diverts funding for buses to be used for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s migrants.
School officials told parents of about 150 kids in the Stoughton Public School system that their young ones would be without school bus service for the foreseeable future, according to the Boston Herald.
“Unfortunately, for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, 150 secondary students who signed up to ride a bus were not able to be placed on a bus. Those families not receiving bus transportation were notified this week. Those receiving bus transportation will receive their bus postcards the week of August 19,” Superintendent of Schools Joseph Baeta told parents in a letter posted to the school’s website.
“We understand the feelings of disappointment and frustration this caused for the families who did not receive bus transportation. We feel it is important to explain this situation to all of our families to allow you to better understand how we arrived at this point,” Baeta added.
“At this point, we are limited in what we can do to provide additional busing. In addition, there is a shortage of bus drivers,” the superintendent added.
Massachusetts does not require school districts to arrange bussing for students, but districts usually prioritize funding for transportation ahead of each school year. However, state rules do require schools to fund busing for migrant students living in shelters and hotels, Fox News reported.
“We have said for months now that our system is at capacity, and we do not have the space, providers or funding to continue expanding.” https://t.co/j2zK3ZSEZr
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) March 26, 2024
Baeta claimed that the extra burden of busing migrant kids into the district is not why the budget fell short for 150 children of citizens and taxpayers. The administrator insisted that the extra buses being used to pick up migrant kids are being paid for by the state, and not through his district budget, and exclaimed, “It is inaccurate to suggest that these children receiving busing is the reason yours did not.”
Still, he has also noted in the past that the migrant crisis is causing strain on the school’s budget.
In a letter Baeta sent home to parents in March, he noted, “The district is seeing an increase in PreK-12 enrollment, including in our migrant student population, and unprecedented pressures in special education, transportation, and services for English Learners.”
He added, “In order to accommodate this increase in our student population, we have had to make adjustments throughout the budget. The situation remains fluid as we get more information and advocate for additional funding from the state.”
It has been estimated that Massachusetts spends at least $575 million per year, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. And according to WWLP-TV, an additional $12 million was added to the 2024 state budget for migrant education.
In July, Fox News reported that the cost to manage the Biden-Harris migrant crisis will cost Massachusetts taxpayers $1.8 billion over the next two years.
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