SoHum School Buses Seem Saved; Gov. Signs SB 81

UPDATE 3:21 P.: Dennis O’Sullivan, Southern Humboldt Community School’s Board President is delighted at the news that Governor Brown has signed but he reminds everyone, “It is just a skirmish in the war. Small remote rural districts are going to have to be vigilant.”  According to O’Sullivan the 2012-13 budget has no funds set aside for transportation.  Nonetheless, he announced that there is a special board meeting Wednesday to rescind the layoffs. “There will be an ice cream social afterwards. I just think our community is great.”

Meanwhile Nickelodeon’s Nick News is filming in Southern Humboldt a piece which is set to air March 18th.  We’ll be sure to post a link.

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Press release from the office of Assm. Wes Chesbro follows.

Previous coverage: 

• Stop the Buses: It’s an Attack on Rural Education

• Next Stop, No Students: Southern Humboldt Struggles with School Transportation Funding 

• Southern Humboldt Takes a Field Trip to Sacramento

• Southern Humboldt Pulling Out All the Stops to Protest Transportation Cuts 

• SB 81 Passes Budget Committee: Bus Bill Roars on to Governor

Chesbro thanks governor for signing SB 81

SACRAMENTO – Praising the Governor for his swift action and understanding of an issue of critical importance to rural California school children, Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) today thanked Jerry Brown for signing SB 81, the bill that restores this year’s funding for the Home to School Transportation program. The signing came in time to save districts on the brink of firing their school bus drivers.

“I am thrilled that the Legislature and Governor were able to come together to restore the funding that gets California’s students to school,” Chesbro said. “Home-to-School Transportation is an essential service in my district. This bill was signed just in time to save the jobs of many school bus drivers and ensure that there is no interruption in getting kids to school.”

SB 81 replaces the $248 million cut to the Home-to-School Transportation program made by Governor Brown, with a smaller, more equitable reduction across all school districts in California. SB 81 moved quickly through the Legislature and made it to the Governor’s desk in just three days.

As a budget bill, SB 81 will go into effect immediately.