Heads of regional councils, areas located outside major cities warn the new government tax plan will result in a lack of funding for school bus service for the new school year. The fiscal experts in the regional councils have probed the new reality and learned that cuts will range from 15-30 million NIS annually depending on the size of a particular council and this may result in a lack of funding for school buses.

The school system in these areas is based on bussing since the government closed smaller schools about 20 years ago and adopted a plan of busing students to regional schools. Shmuel Riffman, who represents the councils, warns that there may not be funding to provide busing for students when the new school year begins.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)