Parents press board over elimination of courtesy busing; district sets subscription fee at $500 with $750 family cap

Berkeley Heights residents overwhelmingly told the Board of Education on May 8 that eliminating longstanding courtesy (hazardous‑route) busing will make walking routes unsafe for many students. After public comment that included emotional appeals and specific roadway safety examples, the board set the subscription‑busing fee for 2024–25 at $500 per student with a $750 family cap.

During the budget and transportation discussion, administration explained that the 2024–25 budget assumes $126,000 of offsetting revenue from subscription busing. Transportation Director Miss Sheehan said the $126,000 figure is based on historical patterns (about 126 paid seats at $1,000 each in prior years) and that seat availability depends on route capacity: "We will do our best to service as many students as possible, but it is not a guarantee that we would have a seat for everyone based on where the students are that have signed up," she said.

More than a dozen public speakers described walking conditions they called hazardous, naming routes including Diamond Hill Road and Mountain Avenue, and asking whether the district’s insurance projections account for increased liability. Resident Rich Bauer said the board appeared to be prioritizing dollars over children’s safety: "We worry more about dollars and pennies than we do about the safety of our children," he told the board.

Other residents said subscription busing will impose a serious financial burden: one parent said the cost could be $2,000 per child annually. Several asked whether the district is "making money" from subscription fees; administrators replied the line in the budget is built as an offset and not a profit center.

Board members acknowledged the tension between fiscal constraints and safety. Board member Miss Jolley said the subscription structure was intended to allow more families access to seats who previously were not eligible, while other members said the board lacked key details on the consultant’s rubric and sign‑up projections when votes were taken earlier.

After deliberation the board approved the subscription fees on a roll‑call vote (majority yes; one no recorded). Administration said routes will be planned after the registration period closes and families will be notified of seat availability; there is no automatic guarantee of a seat even for paid subscribers.

The district will open subscription sign‑ups to families (including kindergarten families after orientation) and the transportation office will use the sign‑up data to finalize routes. Officials said the board intends to review transportation policy and data during the coming year to consider longer‑term changes.

Impact: board action directly affects students who previously received courtesy busing; families now face out‑of‑pocket transportation costs unless routes are restored or subsidized by other means.