To rein in skyrocketing school bus costs, state Department of Education officials are looking at a host of options — from cutting routes to holding on longer to older school buses — but stressed there is no single solution short of eliminating bus service altogether.

In a presentation today to the Board of Education, the department will outline the result of months of talking with bus contractors and lawmakers to come up with ideas for curbing the cost of bus service for public school students.

Though department officials said some changes could be made in the coming fiscal year, it is not yet clear which ones or how much money some will save, since each bus contract is different.

One thing is certain. "There is no silver bullet," said Randy Moore, the department’s assistant superintendent for facilities and support services, adding many options for cutting costs are "two-edged swords." Increasing fares or cutting routes, for example, could result in fewer riders.

Discussions about cutting transportation expenses come amid growing questions from lawmakers and parents about why costs have risen so much, so fast. The price tag for school bus service has nearly tripled in the last eight years — to $74.4 million this year. Moore called the increase "hard to substantiate" and said it cannot be explained by higher operating expenses alone.

The FBI has questioned Hawaii school bus contractors and requested documents, apparently as part of an investigation of whether businesses colluded to push up the cost of services. Contractors deny the allegation.

Officials for the Hawaii School Bus Association, a consortium of bus companies, could not be reached Monday.

Whatever the reasons, the reality is that money is being taken from classrooms to pay for bus service, said state Sen. Jill Tokuda, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee.

As it is, Tokuda said, "there’s not enough going into the classroom."

Tokuda said when the department comes to the state Legislature next year, she will be looking for short- and long-term ways to cut costs. "I believe there is definitely something we can do in the short term," she said.

The department explored options for cutting student transportation spending as part of a report to the Legislature, expected to be sent to lawmakers later this month. Legislators also sought a prioritized list of bus routes and information on how bus service works in other states.

Among the proposals the department is considering:

» Eliminate all nonmandated student bus transportation, which would affect about 39,000 general-education students statewide, to save about $40 million per year. About half of these students ride for free because they qualify for free lunch, an indicator of poverty.

Mandated curb-to-curb bus service would still be provided to 4,000 special-education students at a cost of $32 million per year.

The department would likely provide city bus passes or reimbursements to other students for whom transportation is also federally required, including homeless children and those who attend schools outside of their district because their own school is low-performing.

» Further consolidate routes, raise fares or increase the distance students must live from school to qualify for rides. Last year the department consolidated 24 routes, cut 10 high school routes and increased the "minimum qualifying distance" to 1.5 miles from one mile for grade 6 to grade 12 students.

Fares have gone up several times in recent years. In July the board approved an increase of a one-way ride to $1.25 from 50 cents. The cost of a quarterly pass increased to $72 from $60, the annual pass by $45, to $270.

Liz Sager, president of the PTSA Hawaii chapter, said "it’s getting to the point where it’s difficult for a lot of families to take on these increases." But, she added, maintaining the service is vital, especially in rural areas.

"Hawaii has clearly put student achievement as a primary concern," Sager said. "We can’t hope to succeed if we don’t make it a priority of making sure that we’re getting students to school. School bus transportation is a must."

» Allow buses to park at campuses after dropping off students during the day, so they don’t have to return to a base yard, then come back to pick up kids in the afternoon. Moore said this would not work at all schools because space and parking are already scarce.

» Stagger school start times to make routes more efficient.

» Extend the maximum allowable age of a bus that transports children. Large school buses, contractors said, can be up to 15 years old. Smaller school buses can be up to 10 years old.

» Allow bus contractors to determine the number and size of buses required to serve particular routes, rather than dictating that in a contract.

» Have a single master contractor and subcontractors.

Moore said the department worked with contractors to search for ideas for decreasing costs, and is interested in keeping service as robust as possible as part of its push to boost student achievement.

"We … know that without school bus service, absenteeism will increase, student achievement will decrease and dropouts will increase," Moore said, adding, "If you believe that the contractors are charging too much, is the solution then to reduce the level of service, which affects students?"

The department is also grappling with anticipated cuts to general fund appropriations for bus service in the coming fiscal year.

The executive budget request is poised to include a $17 million cut for student transportation. Moore said the department would need a separate plan to figure out how it will tackle the reduction.

"It will not be pretty," Moore said.