$460,000 to bus homeless students in Holyoke

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - As more homeless families seek shelter in hotels, cities and towns are paying more to provide services to them.

The Holyoke School Department found itself with an $11 million dollar shortfall, part of the reason is because of how expensive it's getting to bus homeless children.

Hundreds of homeless children who live with their families in Holyoke hotels, are bussed to school.

According to Holyoke's homeless liaison Bonnie Randall Howe, more and more children need rides to school.

"They skyrocketed, they really have skyrocketed. We seem to be getting more and more students every year," Randall Howe said.

Randall Howe says at one point the services cost the district $150,000.  As gas prices go up and more students need the service, the price now is nearly $460,000.

"I can see a little less money but 400,000 sounds like a lot of money to me," Nancy Kurz of Connecticut said.

"I think its a shame, I think no one should be homeless in this day and time, everyone should have somewhere to live," Lisa Reyes added.

It's not just kids getting picked up from Holyoke hotels to go to Holyoke schools. Some kids are actually getting bussed in from outside communities.

It's part of the reason the district suffered an $11 million budget shortfall, costing 9 teachers their jobs.

The district also stopped getting federal stimulus funds that contributed to the problem.

The homeless transportation is an expense that doesn't appear to be going away.

"A long time ago it may have been $40 and $50 dollars between say Holyoke and Springfield, now its anywhere from $60-$80," Randall Howe added.

This isn't unique to Holyoke.

It's law that homeless students in Massachusetts have a right to either remain in their school of origin or to attend school where they are temporarily living, and are provided transportation.