Dear Editor,

We've been hearing a lot of talk in recent weeks about the budget crisis at Tamaqua Area School District. Bus transportation costs are an area the school board has paid particular attention to.Absent in all the transportation analysis is any question as to why the district pays to bus their athletic teams to anywhere but Hometown to play Marian High School.The following is a list of Class A schools scheduled by the Tamaqua AD with one-way travel time and miles. The list was compiled from baseball, softball and basketball schedules. Mahanoy Area (28 min., 13 mi.), Tri Valley (52 min., 42 mi.), Nativity (27 min., 16 mi.), Weatherly (28 min., 18 mi.), Minersville (36 min., 20 mi) and Shenandoah (35 min., 17mi).The district is willing to pay bus travel as great as 84 miles round-trip to Tri Valley rather than make the 4.8 mile ride to Marian to play what used to be a rival game.Maybe Asst. Supt. Kinder has the answer to this question. Athletic scheduling might be one of his other duties Board President Wittig forgot to mention.Mike MillerTamaqua