Bus fee confusion

by Y-Dan Bui

The method of transportation for the MHS Girl's Tennis team is "circumstantial", Athletic Director Jeffrey Lamb said. When the team does not have access to a bus, parents are asked to drive, Lamb said.

The transportation fee charge of $100 for all sports goes to the district, Lamb said. According to Lamb, buses are sometimes unavailable, and people are told this up front. No parents have complained about driving, Lamb said.

Lamb stated that transportation fees should not vary by sport. “If we went to a per-sport transportation fee,” Lamb said, “it would cost so much more for athletes.”

Sophomore Stephanie Hong, a member of the tennis team, said that everyone on the team paid the fee. But for the latter half of the season, the team did not get buses.
“I don’t think it’s fair,” Hong said. “The parents paid a hefty price of $100 for transportation, but have to take time from work to drive their child to a match.”

Junior Hanna Tran said that the confusion started after the team members had paid their fees and gone to the first away game. The tennis coach told the team that Lamb informed him that the sum of all the players’ fees would not be enough for a bus to the remaining away matches, Tran said.

“The first thing I wondered was whether we would get our money refunded, but after I heard that we weren't I was pretty angry and upset,” Tran said, “I didn't understand where the money was going, and why this type of situation wasn't a problem last year.”

According to Tran, her parents were displeased about the news, and expressed the same confusion she did. The other players on the team also found it strange that other teams with similar numbers of athletes did not experience this problem, Tran said.

“It would be better if we were told about this problem as early in the season as possible, before we actually went to away games,” Tran said, “So that we can maybe figure out a way to account for the difference in the cost of the bus.”

Lamb said the process could be improved. “I think the system is very fair,” he said. “It is fair, but it could be a whole lot better.”