A state report indicates the fleet of yellow buses owned by Iowa’s public schools traveled more than 40 MILLION miles last year. Some geographically large Iowa school districts are spending more than nine-hundred dollars a year for EACH STUDENT who rides the bus to and from school.
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Republican lawmakers are offering to supplement some school transportation budgets — but in varying degrees. Republicans in the HOUSE are suggesting a 10-million dollar boost for the coming year.
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That’s Republican Representative Walt Rogers of Cedar Falls, chairman of the House Education Committee.

Senator Amy Sinclair, a Republican from Allerton, says given current state budget realities, she understands why her G-O-P colleagues in the House favor spending less on school transportation.
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Sinclair says another bill pending in the legislature could help ease school budgets for busing. The bill would let elementary students ride the bus just as long as high school students — a one-way trip of 75 minutes.