SC House committee wants to study school buses

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A House committee has gutted a bill turning over South Carolina’s state-run school bus system to local districts and created a study panel.

The Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday replaced the measure transferring full responsibility of the state fleet. Districts could decide to run the buses themselves, hire a private firm, or collaborate with area districts.

South Carolina is the only state to own and maintain a school bus fleet. However, local property taxes foot most of the operating costs. Many worried the bill would end up costing districts more.

But Rep. Jim Merrill says it’s about getting old, broken buses off the road. He criticized the change as a “way of dragging and delaying and doing zippo.”