No more courtesy buses for Hillsborough students

TAMPA (FOX 13) - The Hillsborough County School Board decided Tuesday in a six-to-one vote to eliminate the courtesy bussing program as part of an effort to cut costs. 

The decision means that about 7,500 middle and high school students who live within two miles of their school will no longer be offered bus transportation. Instead, those students will have to walk or find another ride.  

The decision is supposed to save the county millions of dollars. 

Parents of students affected by the change will receive a notice in the mail in the coming weeks. Schools will begin mailing out the notices at the end of this week. 

The ruling will take effect in August 2017, giving parents and students eight months to plan alternative transportation.