(February 23, 2004) — It’s 7:15 in the morning and most Clark students are rushing toward their respective bus stops. Two-thirds of Clark students depend on the bus system to transport them to get to and from school. However, students may no longer be able to take advantage of this district-paid service as district officials are considering a $2-per-day transportation fee to help with a needed $8 million in proposed budget cuts for the 2004-2005 school year. According to Chief Business and Financial Officer Steve Hodgson, the Board of Education considered charging a fee for the beginning of this school year, but didn’t follow through. Millions of dollars have already been cut because of state shortfalls. Concerning the budget, “Clark, along with other schools in the district, is already doing very much with very less,” said Principal Doug Dall. “From computer paper to turning the lights on—everything is an expense,” said Dall. According to Hodgson, the cost of Clark transportation is approximately $700,000 per year. A fee per student would generate approximately $250,000, helping to reduce costs. For the past month or so, consideration for a fee for next year has been discussed. To date, GUSD has not yet voted to approve any action on the matter. Clark had 17 buses last school year, but reduced the number to 15 and also reduced the number of bus stops to help cut costs. “It’s unfair because many students aren’t able to afford such a cost. Two dollars a day can really add up,” freshman Denise Razana said. According to some students, the increase in pricing might cause a decrease in enrollment. “Clark may lose students if they start charging us for busing. We would be technically paying for our education. Clark is a public, not a private, school,” said senior Akram Mohamed. Some students might turn to less expensive alternatives. Junior Paul Kim said, “I don’t understand why they would charge two dollars when the Metro charges less.” Hodgson said that a solution for the bussing situation isn’t their first priority at the moment, but a decision should be made within the next month.