The question of the week: How will they get to school?

"They" are students in the King Philip, Dighton-Rehoboth, Tri-County, Southeastern and other regional school districts around the state whose transportation budgets have been slashed a total of $18 million. Losses for the regional systems in Sun Chronicle country range from $200,000 to $450,000, significant budget adjustments to make when two months of the school year have already passed and when the fiscal year is already four months over.

In similar situations, non-regional school districts have imposed transportation fees, but that's illegal for regional districts. We would not be surprised to see emergency legislation proposed to change that, but as of Friday, regional school superintendents were saying they had more questions than answers.

Whether the state can be convinced to restore some of the transportation funds appears unlikely. Cities and towns served by regional schools would certainly not welcome requests to help cover the shortfall. It might be wise for regional students and parents to start making plans for car pools.

Also... of the week The innovation of the week? Use of Skype technology, as reported Tuesday, so that junior Liz Cianci could continue to attend classes at New Testament School in Norton while stuck at home in Walpole nursing a broken leg. This was the first example of tele-schooling at New Testament, but it has been used elsewhere. Will school buildings, not to mention busing controversies, always be necessary? Probably not, we would surmise.

Kudos to:

The St. Petersburg, Fla., police for solving the "cold case" of the 1991 murder of former Attleboro resident James Butler.

William G. Keegan, chosen by Mansfield selectmen as the new town manager. Keegan formerly served as Seekonk administrator.

New England Patriot Logan Mankins of Attleboro (inset), for enrolling with the Brain Injury Association to promote awareness about concussion injuries in sports to children.

Erin Ahearn of Mansfield, for winning a spot on the "Wheel of Fortune" TV game show.

Bristol County Savings Bank, for donating $8,000 to the new Attleboro Evening Diploma Program.

Norton School Department, on initiating a new wellness curriculum.

Our own Peter Gobis and Mark Farinella, who have been selected for induction into schoolboy sports halls of fame.

Thomas Bliss, 26, of Attleboro, who recently won funding to continue his work on building a robotic version of a manta ray at the University of Virginia, where he is enrolled in a doctoral program in engineering. Numbers of note

81. Percentage of registered voters in Attleboro who skipped the city election Tuesday.

7. Votes by which Ward 5 Attleboro school board incumbent Fran Zito beat challenger David Sidman in Tuesday's election. Sidman has asked for a recount. Mark Cooper, who fell 64 votes short of gaining an at large council seat, is also seeking a recount.

$31. Price City Councilor Kim Allard says was quoted for a one-mile cab ride. Houle's Cab owner Dennis O'Donnell denies that such a charge was ever made.

10. Years since the provincial house at LaSalette Shrine - built in 1903 as Solomon Sanitarium - burned to the ground on Nov. 5.

20. Average percentage credit card companies were increasing their rates to beat new federal rules that were scheduled for Feb. 22. At the urging of Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the House this week voted to move the effective date to Dec. 1.

20. Approximate number of vehicles in the Lake Como area of North Attleboro damaged in a Halloween vandalism spree.

17 1/2. Hot dogs eaten in 20 minutes by John Petrarca, 20, at Tex Barry's Coney Island, Attleboro, beating the former record of 17.

$5. Daily cost of care fee Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson has asked the Supreme Judicial Court to allow him to reimpose at the county house of correction.

16.4. Miles Foxboro Fire Chief Roger Hatfield will live from the fire station after he moves into his new home in Seekonk. Hatfield has been making a 200-mile commute to Foxboro and back to his home in Wilton, N.H.

3,486. Hotline calls answered by New Hope in the past year.