The Lawrence County School Board made the right decision when they voted no on the GPS systems on school buses.

 

The cost of $70,000 to buy and $22,000 annually to maintain is an extravagance we simply cannot afford. In an age when buses have radios and most folks have cell phones, we don't need a GPS satellite system to track all the buses.

 

My mother drove a bus for many years. Pay was slim and raises didn't seem to come as often for the bus drivers as for many other government employees. Our drivers are underpaid and under appreciated for their daily work. Would you want to have the responsibility of the lives of up to 70 kids in your hands twice a day, five days a week, 180 days a year?

 

The school board made the right call when saying no to an unneeded GPS system. Now, I challenge all incumbent and all newly elected school board members to stand up and take issue with the low pay our bus drivers recieve. It's time we take some money, hard times or not, and help our bus drivers earn what they deserve.

 

Who will take the first step?

 

 

Charlie Kincaid