The Howell Board of Education has approved a contract with the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority (LSTA), potentially allowing busing services to be provided for hundreds of additional children beginning with the 2025-2026 school year who have not been receiving busing until now.
New Jersey law mandates that school districts provide busing to eligible students within the district. But as communities continue to grow and expand beyond district borders, parents of students who do not meet eligibility criteria are forced to spend hours in the car every day transporting their children to and from school.
The LSTA developed efficient bus routes for over 50,000 schoolchildren in Lakewood Township during its initial three-year trial and the following five years. More importantly, since the district no longer managed the busing, families could now purchase bus service for children who weren’t required to be bused. Additionally, private consortiums like the LSTA have more flexibility than government agencies in negotiating contracts, allowing for better terms with bus companies.
Earlier this year, the Jackson and Toms River Boards of Education signed similar agreements making this the third under a recent law signed by Governor Phil Murphy following nearly a decade of advocacy by Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey Office, Lakewood Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein, and others.
“As envisioned, the busing bill will have far-reaching implications for school children around the state,” said Shlomo Schorr, Director of Legislative Affairs for Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey Office, “We look forward to hearing of similar agreements with districts around the state.”
Notably, this latest agreement is the first with a district outside of Ocean County.
“Assemblyman Avi Schnall (D-30) has been working tirelessly on this issue for nearly eight years, and we are extremely grateful for his advocacy on this issue as well as , as well as the sponsors of the bill, Assemblyman Louis Greenwald (D-6), and Senators Vin Gopal (D-11) and Bob Singer (R-30),” Schorr added.
I hear parents need to pay LSTA out of pocket and have additional fees besides for what their township pays direct. Is this true and can this be explained. Ty