From Santa Cruz, California: "County asks for student bus pass donations," by J.M. Brown

This story was originally posted on the Santa Cruz Sentinel's website at http://www.scsextra.com/story.php?sid=75722 . That link no longer exists. Below is a copy of the original story.


JoAnn Allen, who runs a county support program for low-income and homeless families, sets aside $18,000 every year to buy monthly bus passes for students whose families can't afford to shuttle them between home and school.

But during the past 18 months, as more Santa Cruz County families lose their homes to the statewide wave of mortgage foreclosures, the number of parents requesting Metro transit passes from the county has nearly tripled. In just the first three months of this year, Allen said she has already spent $40,000 -- more than twice her annual transportation budget.

Allen has pulled from other federal grant-funded sources at the county Office of Education to backfill the overspending, and for the first time since the support program was founded 18 years ago is asking for the public's help to subsidize the transportation costs. She said all donations are tax-exempt.

"We have a Band-Aid that is leaking," said Allen, director of the student support services division. "This is the first time I've ever said, 'Can you just help us with bus passes?' "

She said there are an estimated 3,000 students in the county who are classified as homeless or in transition, meaning they are temporarily living with other families, staying in motels or living on the streets. School sites countywide refer families to the county program, but Allen said the crisis has particularly affected lower-income areas of Santa Cruz, Live Oak and the Pajaro Valley.

The names of families who receive the passes are confidential, but several contacted by the Sentinel through county officials declined to be interviewed about the reason for their sudden spike in financial need.

In a recent written appeal to the public, the county education office said, "Many families in our community, both homeowners and rental tenants, are being forced from their homes. As a result of these economic hardships, we are identifying more homeless families in need of services for their school-aged children."

Allen said some families are also grappling with vehicle repossessions, making it difficult to get their children to school unless they can afford a city bus ticket. Allen's program serves about 1,000 students annually with clothes, supplies and transportation, but is struggling to make ends meet with the run on transportation costs.

Monthly bus passes cost $35 for K-12 students, and the county also provides about six $50 monthly passes for parents or guardians who accompany the youngest students. The majority of pass users are students between the fifth and ninth grades.

Although school districts lack transportation funding, Allen said she has asked liaisons at school sites to see if the families requesting the passes could chip in even a small portion of the bus pass cost. Many cannot, and she said the county has had to turn away parents.

Laurie Bloom-Sweeney, assistant superintendent of education services at Live Oak School District, encouraged the public to invest in the bus program.

"Their life is in turmoil," she said of the 88 students, or 5 percent, in her district who are homeless or living in transitional housing. "Whatever we can do to maintain a sane environment for them is imperative."

How to help


Donations to the Students in Transition bus pass program 
can be sent to Nohemi Macias, Santa Cruz County Office of Education, 809H Bay Ave., 
Capitola CA 95010. For information, contact Macias at 477-5422 or nmacias@santacruz.k12.ca.us.

Contact J.M. Brown at 429-2410 or jbrown@santacruzsentinel.com.