Have they released what the change in cost would be? What would be the real difference? Whether the child takes the bus at 4:00pm or 8:00pm? Are we nervous they would use it to get back and forth to work?

A larger concern to me is that children would loiter around school rather than go home earlier in the evening. Our secondary students are sometimes given a bit too much freedom to go where they choose and it's very easy for a kid to say he's at practice, but really be somewhere else- possibly until 8:00 now?

That said, though, on more than one occasion I've seen students searching for an administrator to stamp their passes after school activities, so they can get through bus transfers. In our case it may be that the school doesn't have a clear system for stamping them.

As a coach, I can say it's definitely possible for kids to need to take the bus at 8pm on rare occasion. I also know that drama and other events can keep kids late. As a rule, practice generally goes until 6:00pm, but sometimes a little longer, and that 6:30pm limit is really tough for kids who have to transfer busses. We have kids looking around for the stamp, too, and I'm not sure where they're supposed to get it.

8pm seems a very reasonable request. 10:30pm does not.

So would we rather students in their own neighborhoods selling drugs or hanging around school a little longer?

Does it matter whether a student is at sports practice or some other sort of social engagement.

There are no cost implications to an extension. There's no cost difference between catching the bus at 5, 6, or 8. It's still the same ticket used.

UPDATE! The Baltimore Algebra Project is staging a rally outside of the MTA headquarters (6 St. Paul Street, at the corner of St. Paul and Baltimore) at 4:30 today. If you agree with the school district's requested 8pm extension then join in and bring some kids from your school with you!