Thanks to some leftover grant money, some students will have a ride to summer school.

Two routes – one in Truckee and the other at the lake – were targeted at students taking remedial courses this summer. Tahoe Truckee Unified School District officials had feared the students who needed summer school most would not have the opportunity to attend without transportation.

“English learner parents were upset because they go to work at seven in the morning and can’t take off work to pick up their kids at noon,” said summer school administrator Ruta Krusa. The summer school day begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 12:20 p.m.

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“[The parents] called and said, ‘Can’t we pitch in and get a bus?’ Once we calculated the amount it would cost, we knew that wasn’t possible,” Krusa said.

Because the funding came from Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 – money set aside for English language learners – summer school administrators had to pick the routes based on addresses. The routes are available for any student needing transportation, Krusa said.

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Summer school transportation usually comes from the general fund, but the routes were one of the first items to go in the Tahoe Truckee Unified budget cuts.

To operate the two routes for five weeks – including driver pay, fuel and maintenance – it cost $9,600, Krusa said. Transportation officials expect 50 students to take each route, but the capacity on the buses will fit 78 students.

“We’d rather use our smaller bus,” said Tom Miller, director of transportation. If need be, Miller said, the district will use larger buses with an additional row of seating.

In addition to the two standard bus routes, four special education routes will be provided to students. School districts are required to provide special education transportation under the federal individual education plan, which mandates that school districts must provide home-to-school transportation for special needs students.

More than 600 students have signed up for summer school this year.

Summer school 2003 bus schedule

Truckee Elementary School

Pick up

7:29 a.m. West River Street and Earthly Delights

7:32 a.m. Brockway and Village Green Mobile Home Park (enter at lower driveway)

7:35 a.m. Martis Valley Road and Sierra Village Apartments

7:38 a.m. Estates Drive and Truckee Pines Apartments

7:45 a.m. West River Street and Donner Creek Mobile Home Park

7:50 a.m. Arrive at Truckee Elementary School

8 a.m. School begins

Take Home

12:20 p.m. School dismissed

12:30 p.m. Depart Truckee Elementary loading zone

12:37 p.m. West River Street and Earthly Delights

12:40 p.m. Brockway and Village Green Mobile Home Park (enter at lower driveway)

12:43 p.m. Martis Valley Road and Sierra Village Apartments

12:46 p.m. Estates Drive and Truckee Pines Apartments

12:53 p.m. West River Street and Donner Creek Mobile Home Park

Kings Beach Elementary School

Pick up

7 a.m. Tahoe Lake Elementary School

7:19 a.m. National Avenue and first driveway to mobile home park

7:22 a.m. Highway 28 and Estates

7:30 a.m. Highway 28 and Carnelian Woods (behind miniature golf)

7:42 a.m. Safeway parking lot

7:45 a.m. Highway 267 and Cambridge Drive

7:50 a.m. Arrive Kings Beach Elementary School

8 a.m. School begins

Take Home

12:20 p.m. School dismissed

12:25 p.m. Depart Kings Beach Elementary School

12:29 p.m. Highway 267 and Cambridge Drive

12:33 p.m. Safeway parking lot in Kings Beach

12:37 p.m. National Avenue and first driveway to mobile home park

12:40 p.m. Highway 28 and Estates

12:47 p.m. Highway 28 and Carnelian Woods (behind miniature golf)

12:57 p.m. Tahoe Lake Elementary School