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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Falcon School District 49 sent 51 buses to Colorado's state Capitol Thursday morning, hoping to bring attention to the educational cuts Gov. John Hickenlooper has proposed statewide.

Hickenlooper proposed $332 million in educational cuts statewide. D49 is slated to lose about $7 million next year, and the school board has chosen to cut bus service as a way to make up for the budget shortfall.

The district's message was 'fund our kids, fund our future' as buses circled the Capitol building in Denver.

The district's bus service cut will save an estimated $2 million, but will leave about 3,400 students looking for another way to get to school.

"They need to find it in the budget for the children and their parents, especially in the county, it's a longer commute," Falcon resident Michele Federico said.

The district has already discussed possible alternatives, including hiring a private company to take over the service, having parents pay to put their children on the bus, and asking for a tax increase.

Board members gave Senate Majority Leader John Morse the keys to all 84 of the district's buses, symbolizing the legislature's role in eliminating bus service..

"With regards to how local taxes fill our schools, it's 17-20 percent of actual costs to put students through the education system," D49 board member Andy Holloman said.

The state's final budget is expected to be finalized until May, but D49 can't ask the local community for additional funding until November. In the meantime, the district is cutting where they can and rallying for more funding.

"I don't want to get up there and have momentum dwindle, and then all of a sudden everything was for not," D49 board president Dave Martin said.

The rally cost the district about $5,800, all of which were funded through private donations.