Almost £5 million is being set aside by Notts County Council during the next four years to fund free travel to schools for pupils.
The money will be used for families who select not to send their children to the nearest catchment area secondary school.
The council says this will help increase choice and assist thousands of hard-pressed families.
However opposition councillors have launched an attack against the ruling Conservative group, saying the money could have been better spent.
There has been a free travel scheme in place since September for year seven pupils – if their selected school is further than three miles from their home. This scheme will be rolled out to include all the county’s secondary pupils from the next week.
Alan Rhodes, Leader of the Council’s Labour Group, said: “It strikes me as a policy that hasn’t been costed properly and is rapidly becoming unaffordable.
“The Conservatives are pursuing a scheme that will cost a significant amount of money in the long term.”
However, the leader of the Council, Kay Cutts, said: “We believe in choice. Our aim is to make sure that parents can send their children to the school of their choice, as it their right.”