A young Hudson Valley student may save families thousands of dollars a year in transportation costs.

Michael Mazzariello of Newburgh commutes four hours a day to Regis High School in Manhattan. Although the Catholic school is tuition-free, the family spends $4,449 a year in transportation bills.

According to the New York Post, Mazzariello's parents drive him 12 miles to the Beacon train station where he gets on the train to Harlem. Between the toll on the Newburgh-Beacon bridge, the cost of a Metro-North commuter pass and a MetroCard for the subway, the student is spending some serious money just to get back and forth from school every day.

Mazzariello thinks it's unfair to have to pay such an exorbitant cost to commute to school, especially since students in New  York City receive free transportation.  The law allows schoolchildren in the five boroughs free transportation to school if they live too far away to walk.

After meeting with the late Assemblyman Frank Skartados, Mazzariello was able to get a bill introduced that would allow Hudson Valley students to receive the same free transportation perk that city students get. But sadly, the Assemblyman died while in office and the bill disappeared. On Friday Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson and Sen. James Skoufis took over where Skartados left off. They introduced a new bill that would cover all Metro North and MTA fees for students.

We want to know what you think. Should students have to pay for public transportation to school? Let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page or in the comments section below.

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