Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-07
School Bus Issue

bus transportation for st.
Plus x School children made
before the Prince Georges
County Board of Education
by Edward T. Conroy, chair
man of the county's legisla-
tive delegation. The request
was to transport the children
to and from the school by
means Of a combination Of
county and parish school
buses. Mr.. Conroy's action
in raising this question is
laudable.
However, I wonder wheth-
er the citizens Of Prince
Georges County realize that,
by a State law passed in
1947, all children attending
non-public and church-re-
lated schools are entitled to
bus transportation, provided
that the pickup and dis
charge points are on or near
existing public school bus
routes and the children live
at least Is miles from their
school. In addition, at this
very moment, there are $10,-
900 specifically earmarked
for this purpose in the coun-
ty board Of educ atoms
budget.
In light Of these facts, Mr..
Conroy's request is q very
modest one, asking for only
q part Of the service to
which these children are en-
titled. / would suggest that
interested citizens Of all de-
nominations insist on full I'M
fermentation Of the law so
that no children in Prince
Georges County will be dis
eliminated against because
of his creed or religion.
Frederick A. Frank,
Vice President, Bowie
Chapter, Citizens for Educa-
tional Freedom.
Sc -
Regarding the public
school transportation sought
for children Of st. Plus K
School, I should like to
clarity several misconcep-
lions which may be gained
by reading your newspaper
account.
First, we do not want
something that Is not pro-
vided for public school chill
dren. We only ask that the
law be executed by the Com
missioners and the School
Board as explicitly set forth
in the 1947 law.
In this connection, too,
our suggestion for q shuttle
service was made as o sug-
gested method of minimizing
the inconvenience to the
county, even though 1t maxi
mized inconvenience to our
children.
Second, the only children
with whom we are concerned
at this time reside In Sec
tions Of Belair, which are in
excess Of lis miles from st.
Piux x School.
The law authorizes the
county to purchase new
buses to carry the law into
effect.
st. Plus x is presently
spending $14,360 per year to
operate its own buses. Un-
fortunately these buses can
not accommodate the in
creasing school enrolment.
Finally, the Board Of Edu-
cation has budgeted In 1852
SO and 1963-64. $4,000 for
"parochial" transportation.
During 1962-63 academic
year there were 1880 chill
dren attending Catholic
schools in Prince Georges.
The per pupil cost for trans
portation on public school
buses in Prince Georges is
500; thus, the Board Of Edu-
cation budget will accommo-
date 435 parochial school
pupils.
We believe that our re-
quest is reasonable. st. Plus
x parishioners are educating
1914 children in st. Plus x
and Holy Name schools.
Considering that 1t costs
1885, exclusive Of school con-
struction, to educate a child
in the Prince Georges public
school system, 1t is readily
apparent that the assump-
ton OF the additional burden
by st. Plus x parishioners OF
educating these children IN
parochial schools is mate
rally benefiting the taxpay-
ers Of Prince Georges County.
Transportation OF paro-
chial school students on
public school buses has been
upheld by the Maryland Su-
preme Court and the SUI
preme Court of the United
States.