Dallas-area school districts charging kids to ride the bus

At least for extracurricular activities, some Dallas school districts are asking kids to pony up for the trip there.

At Richardson ISD, it’s going to be $5 a person for an in-town trip to UTD. Out-of-town trips are out.

Richardson ISD estimates that it will pay $259,000 to fuel its fleet of buses this school year, much higher than the $139,000 paid in 2004-05.

Dallas County Schools, which provides regular bus service to Dallas ISD and Cedar Hill in the Best Southwest, among suburban school districts, is trying to adapt. It’s got some propane buses in its Lancaster yard, but there are drawbacks to it.

Fort Worth ISD is buying more high-aerodynamics buses.

I have a suggestion – start buying hybrid buses.

(Oh, look for school lunch prices to go up, too.)