Title: Regional school districts struggle with budget cuts

" Budget cuts are leading to school bus worries that a number of local schools this after the governor announced last week and eighteen million dollar cut to regional transportation. And that is leaving many school districts such as -- it with the big budget gap. -- tonight's Kenneth Craig joins us now with more --"

" But the good news Chad is that it doesn't look like we're actually gonna see me. Bus cuts and watch -- the bad news is though because of that it looks like they're gonna happen cut from everywhere else. At regional school districts across the state officials are scrambling to make up for drastic cuts announced last week. At the watch -- regional school district that means coming up with more than a million dollars."

" Pump problem such magnitude. That it is cars -- by surprise."

" The cuts came as Governor Patrick announces plans to close to 600 million dollar budget shortfall. While he did not directly cut education and local laid he slashed nearly eighteen million dollars from chapter 71 funding. Which covers the cost to transport students to and from school in regional school districts. Watch -- at school committee chair Margaret Watson says in the end. All areas will suffer when the money is pulled from education. And supplemented from the towns."

" So we'll be taking money out of the education budget in order to cover transportation costs. So if six -- more than half a dozen of another or it's as bad as this long."

" Meanwhile state law requires regional school districts to transport students to school that -- more than a mile away free of charge. When this when they decide the regional lies the state said thank you because you not building five. -- seven high schools -- and no one. You're saving everybody a lot of money. But to do that it's gonna mean transporting kids from far away and everybody in the states -- what will reimburse you for that."

" For nearly twenty years the status reimbursed watch -- sit for almost 90% of the costs. But nearly a 63%. Cut this year alone means the district must quickly figure out a way to make up the difference."

" So the districts are gonna have to somehow find a way and I can only say this to you it's going to be really hard and there are no easy answers out there. You say you know where you're going to cut and and the answer is at this point no. Now -- watches it is just one of 83 regional school districts across the state another area regional school district the deadly Charlton regional school district received an 800000. Dollar cut. They say they plan to write the governor and have about sixty legislators. Signed on to that letter in order to get the governor to revoke those cuts that can affect you kind of trade reporting for us."