Cumbria County Council's Cabinet has approved plans to look at boosting the public transport network in the county so that 16-18 year olds won't be charged for getting the bus to school or college.
It means that Cumbria will remain one of the only local authorities in the country not to charge 16-18 year olds for home to school transport.
Under the proposals agreed today, the county's Transport Services Board will work up plans to incorporate the requirements of school children more widely into the public transport network. Currently Cumbria County Council invests £0.5m a year in the public transport network and spends £14m a year on school transport. The transport review will look at how spending more money on the former (up to an estimated £6.6m per year) could save money on the latter.
Cumbria's average spend per pupil on home to school transport is £179, which is higher than the national average of £167. The bill for home to school transport is rising - in the 07/08 Budget agreed on 15 February 2007, an extra £488k was allocated for home to school transport and an extra £315k was allocated for special educational needs transport.
The county council currently has a legal obligation to offer free school transport to under 8s who live more than 2 miles from their school and 8-16s who live more than 3 miles from their school. On top of this, the county council offers discretionary free transport to 16-18 year olds.
The school transport budget has come under new pressure from the 2006 Education and Inspection Act, which increases the number of children who are entitled to free school transport (see notes for editors). It is likely that national initiatives such as extended schools, children's centres, the 14-19 year old curriculum and access to sporting facilities will put further pressure on the school transport budget.
"By acting now, we could set up a public transport network that truly serves the needs of our school children. It's crazy that we're spending all this money on school buses when we could boost the public transport system and get children to school that way. That's the way it works in many other areas. But I'm grateful that the review of home to school transport we've carried out recognises that Cumbria is special and will continue to be special by not charging our sixth formers for getting to school," said Clllr Philip Chappelhow, cabinet member responsible for children's services.
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Notes
Under the 2006 Education and Inspection Act - which takes effect for primary schools September 2007 and secondary schools September 2008 - the following categories will now also be entitled to free school transport:
- 8-11 year olds eligible for free school meals who live more than 2 miles from their school (previously they would have only been given free transport if they lived more than 3 miles from their school)
- Secondary school pupils eligible for free school meals are entitled to free travel to any of their 3 nearest schools as long as they are between 3 and 6 miles from their home (ie pupils who have not chosen to go their nearest school may now get free travel if it is within 3-6 miles).
- Secondary school pupils eligible for free school meals who have opted for a school with a specific ideology (such as a Catholic school) are entitled to free school transport if the school is one of their 3 nearest schools within 15 miles from their home.
80% of pupils in Cumbria do not use free home to school transport, 14% use the free transport they're entitled to and 6% use discretionary free transport.