The Castaic Union School District governing board discussed possible alternatives to assist families with lack of transportation for middle school students in the upcoming school year and indicated the district will not be significantly impacted by the U.S. Department of Education’s $6.9 billion funding freeze during Thursday’s meeting.
Since the district announced it would be unable to provide home-to-school transportation for general education students due to a shortage of bus drivers, officials have been seeking alternatives to offer parents a safe place to drop off their students each morning before classes are set to begin. Special education students will continue to receive transportation.
One alternative that is currently in discussion for the middle school students is creating a partnership with the SCV Boys & Girls Club Castaic Clubhouse, said Superintendent Bob Brauneisen. He’s requested to possibly have the site open beginning at 7 a.m., an hour and a half before school sessions begin, but they’re looking to see if funding will allow that possibility, he said.
Last year, when Castaic lost its transportation, Castaic Middle School hired and paid extra campus supervisors for students that were dropped off early, which can be another alternative, Brauneisen added. If the partnership with the Boys & Girls Club does not move forward the district plans to hire extra supervision and provide the school’s library as a resource for students.
During the transportation update provided by Irene Boden, assistant superintendent of business and administrative services, they stated that they are still looking to hire drivers. However, the only applicant they received did not meet the qualifications.
The district also anticipates a higher number of students enrolling in the RISE School Programs, which is a before and after school service provided at Castaic Elementary, Live Oak Elementary, and Northlake Hills Elementary. This program is not offered at the middle school level.
“We have purchased those seats for the morning program so that parents do have that and utilize (it) to drop the students off a little bit early if they need to for work,” Boden said to the governing board.
Boden also addressed the federal government’s Department of Education freeze, which is withholding $6.9 billion in education funding. The Castaic District could possibly face a net loss of $78,604 with the freeze, less than one percent of its funding, Boden said, reassuring the board that the impact won’t be severe.
The district can be affected in Title I part A with $38,000, Title III part A with $22,000 , and Title IV part A with $18,000, according to Boden, adding that she’s thought about possible scenarios that could impact the district’s funding and if they can sustain the freeze.
“For this school year, we are able to continue with everything that we have planned that these programs are under. Next year we’ll have to look at the effectiveness and the needs, and make the determination if the funding doesn’t happen,” Boden said.
