Castaic Union School District officials are planning to raise the district’s bus service fees in order to avoid restricting service, officials decided Thursday at a special meeting.

The district’s elementary schools plan to increase the rider fee from $350 to 400, and children with two or more riders would see their annual fee rise from $525 to $600.

“It is recommended that, in an effort to continue general education transportation for the 2015-16 school year, there will be route reductions and stop combinations for the middle school routes because the sixth grade students are returning to the elementary site,” according to a staff report.

The service changes are not expected to impact students’ ability to commute on the bus, officials said, while saving the district on miles and fuel cost.

District staff warned further cuts could affect service availability if the state budget reduces the district’s funding.

“The future of general education transportation services will be reviewed based on the legislative decisions in the coming months and the financial status of the district,” according to a staff report.

District officials also provided a timeline of transportation costs as they’ve progressed over the last few years.

The Castaic Union School District is the only public school district in the Santa Clarita Valley offering bus service to its general education population. State law mandates all special education students be provided the option for bus service.