But even if there is adequate seating available for everybody traveling with the team, there is another concern. Even with all the band equipment stored underneath the body of the bus, two students were critically injured and five others seriously injured. You do what you have to do. I realize why we have to do it. The reason teams have to share a bus, according to Korhn, is to save money, a policy instituted in the early 1990s when the athletic department cut its budget.
Some charter companies charge for mileage, also, depending on how far they have to drive.
Pinellas County, like Hillsborough, has centralized funding where all the schools draw from the same budget. Baseball and softball teams in Pinellas do not share a bus because of scheduling differences, though Pinellas athletic director Bob Hosack said he understands why Hillsborough County doubles up. That means sharing buses likely will continue, leaving coaches with little choice but to limit the number of players or find other options to transport team equipment in order to make the trips as safe as possible.