Two bills to be offered in the Virginia General Assembly next week could bring private school students one step closer to yellow school buses. The Pupil Transportation Bill, HB 1658, sponsored by senate (sic) patrons L. Scott Lingamfelter, Mark L. Cole and William R. Janis would authorize, but not require, school boards to provide transportation to any student residing in their district to any school in which the student is lawfully enrolled, provided that the school is not operated for profit.
House Bill No. 1589, sponsored by Rep. Gary Reese from Northern Virginia, would amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-176.1 saying, “Local school boards may enter into agreements with nonpublic schools within the school division to provide pupil transportation for a fee to and from such schools.”
Catholic schools make the argument that they save taxpayer money. But so do the people who don’t use parks or have never had their house catch fire. The decision to send their kids to private schools is totally voluntary. Where do you draw the line?