Md. District Seeking $50 Annual Transportation Fee for Students

By Jessica Portner

In an effort to raise needed funds, the Montgomery County, Md., school board is seeking a revenue builder that is rare in school districts nationwide: a $50 annual transportation fee for students.

Students in the suburban Washington district will need a ticket to ride the big yellow school bus beginning next fall if the county government approves the board's plan, which passed earlier this month, 5-2. Low-income and special-education students would be exempt.

The plan has touched off a debate, and some legal authorities say the measure could run afoul...