School Board E-Mails Students, Staff On Bus Fee

Westborough school officials this morning continued presenting their case for potentially implementing a transportation fee next year.

School officials sent out a ConnectEd e-mail to students and staff, school committee Chairman Ilyse Levine-Kanji said today.

The e-mail, which Levine-Kanj provided to Westborough Patch, states:

"For the past month the Westborough School Committee has been holding weekly public meetings to discuss next year's school budget. At our December 5th meeting, in order to avoid further laying off staff members and eliminating programs, we considered instituting a transportation fee (potentially $200/student with a $500 family cap). Our surrounding communities have had transportation fees for many years already as a way to make up for the shortfall in state and federal funding. More background budget information can be found on the Westborough School Department website by clicking here, including information about cost-savings measures as well as information about our high quality district.

"The School Committee will continue budget discussions, including a time for public comment, on December 12th at 6:00 pm in Room 23 of the Forbes Building. We will hold a Public Budget Hearing and vote on the budget on December 19th at the same time/location. As always, we welcome the public's input as we sift through these difficult choices."