Voters could end Dallas County Schools busing

Dallas County voters will soon decide the fate of how thousands of children get to and from school each day.

Dallas County Schools has been under fire for financial mismanagement and a proposition is on the ballot on Nov. 7 that could dissolve the agency.

Before you cast your vote, you'll want to read the proposition very carefully. If you associate "Proposition A" with dissolving DCS, you may think you'd want to vote for the proposition -- but the proposition actually asks if you want DCS to continue. Proponents of the proposition are asking voters to vote no.

Each day, Dallas County Schools is responsible for getting kids in eight school districts to and from school. But the bus service has come under fire after a business venture for side arm cameras ended up losing 50 million dollars.

Texas Senator Don Huffines (Dallas-R) says he's been questioning the agency for two years now.

"I started looking at it when I saw it on my tax bill. It said Dallas Equal Fund,” Huffines said.

The senator is responsible for getting "Proposition A" on the ballot and he doesn't mince words.

"This is a government run bus bureaucracy that is dangerous, unreliable, financially corrupt, and ripping off taxpayers,” Huffines said.

Huffines has a PAC that's pouring money into the campaign to shut down Dallas County Schools.

If voters agree, the school districts that rely on DCS would receive a distribution of the buses.  Then it would be up to each district to either provide bus service on its own or hire a private company.

Richardson ISD is one of the districts debating whether it would be cheaper to manage its own bus service.

"If you go with a third party you will see an increase because they are a for profit company. They are making money,” Huffines said.

But a trustee with DCS, who is encouraging voters to preserve the agency, says the agency is the best option for saving money.

"If they have to pull more money out of their general fund for transportation, there will be less money for the children that concerns me greatly,” said trustee Dr. Kyle Renard. "We've already cleaned house, fired everyone involved in mismanagement … We've made tremendous improvements."

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD received a quote from a private company that would cost the district $2.4 million more than what it's been paying to DCS.

DCS is funded by both school districts and property taxes. The taxes are charged to residents whether their district uses the service or not.