INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS
More School Districts Sue States for Funding in Wake of Budget Crises
has already received 50 percent of its state funding, it might not receive any more money this school year. Illinois is also facing major transportation cuts. Gov.
Quinn slashed $89 million transportation funding for the 2011-12 school year — which was not restored during the veto session in November. School district’s transportation departments are experiencing a budget “crisis,” according to Cinda Meneghetti, the state director of pupil transportation,
because
of rising costs and the state mandate to provide transportation for the majority of students who live 1.5 miles or farther from school. In her Dec. 9 verdict for Colorado’s closely watched
school-funding lawsuit, Denver District Court Judge Sheila Rappaport ruled that the state’s education law is unconstitutional because
it Te Los Angeles Unified School District filed a lawsuit against
the state of California in mid-December claiming that mandated cuts to student transportation violate the state Constitution and put the district in violation of a 1981 desegretation busing order. Te midyear “trigger” cuts eliminated $248 million in state-wide student transportation funds. LAUSD stood to lose $38 million. On Dec. 13, Gov. Brown announced $1 billion cuts after
state revenue was $2.2 billion less than forecasted. A California Department of Education spokesperson said the transportation cut equals half of the current appropriation, so if a school district
“underfunds”
public schools and fails to provide all students a “thorough and uniform” education. She called for the state legislature to craft a new school-funding mechanism, but stayed her ruling pending the state’s appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court. Te state of Texas is also facing three separate school-funding
lawsuits. On Dec. 13, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed a third lawsuit alleging that the current school finance system is unfair, inadequate and unconstitutional, echoing two other lawsuits filed by the Texas Taxpayer and Student Fairness Coalition and Tompson & Horton LLP.
NTSB Recommends States Ban Mobile Communications by All Motorists Te
National Transportation
Safety Board last month urged all 50 states and the District of Columbia to outlaw all forms of wireless communications while driving. Te recommendation to ban
all hand-held and hands-free cell phone
conversations NTSB’s Deborah Hersman devices” as well follows the investigation into an August 2010
multi-vehicle highway accident in Gray Summit, Mo. that resulted in two fatalities and 38 injuries. NTSB investigators found the crash was initially caused by the
pickup driver sending and receiving up to 11 texts before rear-ending the tractor trailer in a construction zone. Te pick-up truck driver was then rear ended by two school buses that were transporting
16 School Transportation News Magazine January 2012 as
texting, emailing and updating social network sites on “personal electronic
high school band members to a St. Louis amusement park. NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman called the recommendation
a “watershed” development because it aims to change driver behavior similar to the way previous recommendations have affected drunk driving and seat belt usage. But, others called such a ban unnecessary and intrusive. “Police already have more than enough reasons to stop
cars,” said Sam Kazman, general counsel for CEI, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government. “Absent hard evidence that a cell phone ban would improve traffic safety, NTSB has no business recommending such a ban.” Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced
a final rule on Nov. 23 that specifically prohibits interstate commercial drivers from using hand-held cell phones while operating a commercial truck or bus. Te final rule exempts most school bus drivers except those who work for private contractors with U.S. DOT numbers engaged in interstate travel.
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