Commission funds $10,000 for school activity bus to expand after‑school access
January 16, 2025 | Hampshire County, West Virginia
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The Hampshire County Commission voted to provide $10,000 from the general fund to help the school system operate after‑school transportation for students in rural parts of the county.
School leaders asked the commission to allocate a portion of opioid settlement funds for the activity bus but commissioners opted to fund a one‑year pilot from the general fund. Jackie McCarthy, principal at Capon Bridge Middle School, described the barrier transportation poses for students whose parents commute outside the county and said the bus would let students attend tutoring, clubs and other after‑school programs during high‑risk hours. “We are proposing allocating $10,000 from the opioid grant funds,” McCarthy said while describing the program’s goal; commissioners ultimately recommended the general‑fund pilot instead.
Trey Stewart, athletic director at Hampshire High School, said current activity runs serve roughly 75–100 students per week on athletic trips and that the county once ran multiple activity buses under a prior grant. “We would certainly love to entertain some assistance on that to free up dollars to put back into our kids,” Stewart said.
Commissioner Cannon moved a one‑year pilot to fund the $10,000 from the county general fund; Commissioner Mance seconded. Cannon said he favored a general‑fund pilot to avoid taking money from other opioid‑related programs. "I would move that we authorize the request of the school board along with the athletic association, but that it should be paid out of the general fund for 1 year," he said. The motion passed.
School officials told the commission that operating the activity runs currently costs about $15,000 annually in total (about $8,300 for the high school run and about $7,000 for the Bobcat run), and that $10,000 would cover most of the expense for the busiest routes. Commissioners asked for metrics to evaluate the program’s effectiveness after the pilot year.
What’s next: County staff will disburse $10,000 to the school system to be used for after‑school transportation during the pilot year; the schools will report back with participation and outcomes for evaluation.
School leaders asked the commission to allocate a portion of opioid settlement funds for the activity bus but commissioners opted to fund a one‑year pilot from the general fund. Jackie McCarthy, principal at Capon Bridge Middle School, described the barrier transportation poses for students whose parents commute outside the county and said the bus would let students attend tutoring, clubs and other after‑school programs during high‑risk hours. “We are proposing allocating $10,000 from the opioid grant funds,” McCarthy said while describing the program’s goal; commissioners ultimately recommended the general‑fund pilot instead.
Trey Stewart, athletic director at Hampshire High School, said current activity runs serve roughly 75–100 students per week on athletic trips and that the county once ran multiple activity buses under a prior grant. “We would certainly love to entertain some assistance on that to free up dollars to put back into our kids,” Stewart said.
Commissioner Cannon moved a one‑year pilot to fund the $10,000 from the county general fund; Commissioner Mance seconded. Cannon said he favored a general‑fund pilot to avoid taking money from other opioid‑related programs. "I would move that we authorize the request of the school board along with the athletic association, but that it should be paid out of the general fund for 1 year," he said. The motion passed.
School officials told the commission that operating the activity runs currently costs about $15,000 annually in total (about $8,300 for the high school run and about $7,000 for the Bobcat run), and that $10,000 would cover most of the expense for the busiest routes. Commissioners asked for metrics to evaluate the program’s effectiveness after the pilot year.
What’s next: County staff will disburse $10,000 to the school system to be used for after‑school transportation during the pilot year; the schools will report back with participation and outcomes for evaluation.
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