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Board discusses charter‑bus policy for student travel; staff recommends buses for trips of two hours or longer
Summary
Superintendent staff recommended the division require charter buses for student activity and athletic trips that exceed two hours (approx. 20 miles), estimating a $20,000 budget addition if the board adopts the policy for next year.
Prince George County School Board members discussed a staff proposal on Jan. 13 to require chartered buses for student activity and athletic travel when trips are two hours or longer — roughly trips over 20 miles — and to budget additional funds for that purpose starting next school year.
Deputy superintendent Patrick Barnes and other staff reviewed travel lengths and frequency for regional competition and recommended a 2‑hour threshold for charter buses. Staff estimated the additional cost to the transportation budget at about $20,000 if the board adopts the policy for future seasons.
Board members clarified the scope: the proposed threshold would cover athletic and academic competition travel and could be applied to in-state trips; longer or out-of-state trips such as national DECA competitions or some academic travel are handled case-by-case and often involve air travel or student activity funds. Several members said the proposal should not be retroactive and any change would take effect next school year so current-season teams would not be treated inconsistently.
Members discussed alternatives: teams can fund charter travel through their activity budgets or fundraisers, communities can donate, and qualifying state‑level tournament travel is already chartered under the division’s current policy. Staff said they will include the recommendation in next year’s budget discussions so the board can decide whether to add the requested funds.
