Lake County ends busing to after school programs

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — When students go back to school next month in Lake County, dozens of them might not have rides after school.

The school district has already cut more than $1 million from its transportation budget. Channel 9's Berndt Petersen has learned that the district will no longer pick up or drop off more than 150 children to after school programs.

Those children will join the more than 4,000 students that will no longer get a ride to and from school.

For years, while school was in session, the district's buses would stop at centers like the Boys and Girls Club to drop off students who took part in after school programs. But that will end.

To save money, district officials have eliminated the rides. It is part of an overall cut of what the district calls courtesy busing.

The change will affect about 4,300 students who live within 2 miles of a school campus.

Those children now have to find their own way to the after school programs.

Freddy Williams, the local director for the Boys and Girls Clubs, said the decision will be very hard on the mostly lower-income parents whose children attend the after school programs.

"This is the program that helps those parents that need us the most, that need an extra helping hand to give them affordable after school childcare," said Williams.

The district also used to drop children off at day care centers after school. That courtesy busing will come to an end as well.

WFTV