CHIMACUM — School district administrators will add more school bus routes next fall, a move to increase state funding to schools but decrease bus driver hours.

District administrators shared their new transportation plan with the public during a School Board meeting Wednesday night.

A state school transportation consultant, John Harris, had already explained logistics of the proposal to the board at a meeting last month.

Bus drivers, who attended the board meeting on Wednesday, asked the board to consider their loss of hours and decrease in benefits.

“Personally, I face a $533 loss, which translates to $6,395 a year,”‘ said bus driver Bob Foster, who provided board members with graphs that illustrate impact on the drivers.

“As much as I love driving for Chimacum, I cannot make ends meet with such a cut.”

State formula

The district’s proposal is based on a state formula designed to reimburse rural school districts with more routes, said Harris.

“The more buses you get on route, however you do it, the more money it will generate,” he said.

Creation of six new bus routes would bring the cash-strapped school district an additional $130,000 during next school year, said district Business Manager Art Clarke.

Accommodating route changes, the district had already purchased five used buses for $8,000 total, and had ordered three new buses, including one special education transporter, Clarke said.