The number of bus drivers serving Hawai驶i schools has reached its highest point in four years, but the Department of Education is still falling short of meeting families鈥� transportation needs.

This year, 545 bus drivers are serving Hawai驶i schools, up from 436 last fall, from the DOE. The department is still short 130 drivers, who are primarily provided through the bus companies Ground Transport Inc. and Roberts Hawai驶i.

The department sparked widespread criticism from parents and lawmakers last August when it  over 100 bus routes for students days before the new school year. To avoid severe shortages this year, DOE consolidated some bus routes with low ridership and launched a new carpooling initiative for parents, according to a recent memo from Deputy Superintendent Jesse Souki. 

Last year, nearly half of Hawai驶i students didn鈥檛 qualify for bus transportation because they lived within walking distance to their local schools or received a geographic exception to attend a campus outside of their neighborhood. This fall, nearly 13% of students rely on the bus services available to regular education students, down from roughly 16% in the . 

Special education students receive their own bus services that are required under federal law. 

Demand for bus drivers has fallen over the past two years, with DOE contracting for 694 drivers in 2023, compared to 675 this fall. Bus companies were better able to keep up with DOE鈥檚 demands before the Covid-19 pandemic, and the state was only short 28 drivers in 2019.

Despite the decline in DOE鈥檚 need for drivers, the costs of transporting kids has increased over the past several years. Last school year, the department spent a total of $76 million in state and federal funds on student transportation, compared to $60 million in 2022.

To reduce families鈥� reliance on buses, the department has offered  to middle and high school students on O驶ahu and Kaua驶i. In the first quarter of the school year, roughly 6,200 O驶ahu students and 99 Kaua驶i students took advantage of the bus passes, according to the DOE, with the majority of participants from O驶ahu schools.

Maui and Hawai驶i County already offer free bus services to students.

This fall, DOE also introduced a carpool pilot program, which allows parents in the Mililani and Kekaulike complexes to connect with nearby families who can transport their kids between school and home.

Only 3% of families in the complexes have registered for the program, according to the DOE.

The department will give more updates on student transportation during Thursday鈥檚 Board of Education meeting.

School districts have made some progress in addressing the national shortage of school bus drivers, but there still aren鈥檛 as many drivers as there were in 2019, according to a new study.

The number of drivers has increased by 2,300, or 1.1%, since last year, , a left-leaning research group. But there are still 21,200 fewer bus drivers than there were听in 2019, a decline of 9.5%.

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The researchers link the employment gain to higher wages: Average hourly wages are up 4.2% in the past year, the largest jump since the COVID-19 pandemic.

During and after the pandemic, many bus drivers , left the workforce or in some cases, died. Districts across the country have had to scramble to find someone to take the wheel 鈥� be it substitute teachers, administrators or even parents.

The number of bus drivers decreased by 15% between September 2019 and September 2023, to the Economic Policy Institute. Private school bus contractors now account for 38% of the nation鈥檚 pupil transportation services, according to the National School Transportation Association.

Other school transportation options, , have helped fill the gap in some places. But of all U.S. K鈥�12 students rely on a school bus to get to school.

The report warns that school district budgets are tightening as federal pandemic relief funds , and notes that the Trump administration has delayed some federal K-12 funding in its bid to shrink and the U.S. Department of Education.

The report points to , , and as states that are dealing with especially severe bus driver shortages. It also notes that a dearth of drivers has a particularly pronounced effect on students with disabilities, and that not having enough drivers can lead to inconsistent bus schedules and routes, which contributes to absenteeism and missed school meals.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.

New York City鈥檚 troubled yellow school bus system is in the spotlight once again, with threats of a service disruption and looming mass layoffs due to a contract dispute with the city.

The city鈥檚 largest school bus companies notified the state Department of Labor that they are preparing to shut down operations and lay off employees on Nov. 1 if they don鈥檛 receive a contract extension, the New York Post .

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Lawmakers, advocates, and city officials immediately condemned the bus companies鈥� threat, with schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos calling the move 鈥渄eeply upsetting and an act of bad faith.鈥�

The timing of the bus company鈥檚 push, just before November鈥檚 mayoral election, for a five-year extension that would outlast the incoming mayor鈥檚 first term, 鈥渆ffectively bypassed the oversight of voters and elected officials who manage these vital services,鈥� Aviles-Ramos said.

Mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani agreed, telling reporters at an unrelated Tuesday press conference that the oversight panel in charge of approving the contract 鈥渋s right to not give in to the threats.鈥�

The bus companies argue they have no choice because their temporary contract is expiring and they can no longer operate without a longer-term agreement.

The episode is the latest in a long history of over how to manage the sprawling yellow bus system, which relies on a patchwork of largely for-profit companies to ferry some 150,000 students across nearly 19,000 routes each day. All told, the city spent nearly .

Parents and advocates hope this clash can draw renewed attention to problems in a system notorious for , , and a .

鈥淭here鈥檚 this tug of war over the money,鈥� said Sara Catalinotto, the executive director of the advocacy group Parents for Improving School Transportation. 鈥淏ut this is a service, and without it these kids are discriminated against.鈥�

What鈥檚 the history behind these bus contracts?

The current dispute springs from a disagreement over how to handle the city鈥檚 鈥渓egacy鈥� school bus contracts, which date back to the 1970s and are typically renewed every five years. They most recently expired in June.

In the months before the contracts expired, city Education Department officials signaled they were interested in rebidding the contracts, or soliciting offers from a new set of companies to more efficiently for contract violations.

Simply renewing the existing contracts gives the city 鈥渇ar less negotiating ability 鈥� because we have to continue with this same set of vendors,鈥� Emma Vadehra, the Education Department鈥檚 former deputy chancellor, in May.

But city officials say they can鈥檛 move forward with rebidding without the option to offer something called the 鈥淓mployee Protection Provision,鈥� or EPP.

That protection 鈥� built into the legacy contracts for decades 鈥� ensures unionized bus workers laid off by one company are prioritized for hiring by other companies, at their existing wages. Drivers and union officials consider the provision a dealbreaker 鈥� and would almost certainly strike without it.

But city officials say a 2011 state court decision prohibits them from inserting EPP into new contracts if they rebid 鈥� and only allows them to keep EPP if they extend existing contracts. The only fix, city officials say, is changing state law 鈥� an effort that has so far stalled in Albany.

Without that state legislation, city officials faced a choice: inking another five-year extension or pushing for a shorter-term contract in the hopes state lawmakers quickly clear the way for a rebid.

Who is opposed to a five-year contract renewal?

While the city moved ahead with negotiations for a five-year extension, a growing number of advocates, parents, and flooded meetings of the Panel for Educational Policy, or PEP 鈥� the body that approves Education Department contracts 鈥� to push for a shorter-term contract.

鈥淒o not vote yes to extend for some long period of time,鈥� said Christi Angel, a parent leader in District 75, which serves students with significant disabilities who disproportionately rely on busing, at the September PEP meeting. Roughly . 鈥淒on鈥檛 reward bad behavior,鈥� Angel said. 鈥淭his is a broken system.鈥�

Their arguments quickly gained traction in the PEP, where multiple members expressed their opposition to a five-year extension at September鈥檚 meeting.

The panel is expected to vote on the five-year extension next month, after the mayoral election, said PEP Chair Greg Faulkner, though he would prefer to wait until the new mayor takes office in January.

鈥淪houldn鈥檛 the mayor-elect have some say in a billion dollar contract?鈥� said Faulkner. 鈥淚 just think that鈥檚 sound governance.鈥�

Why are the city and bus companies at odds right now?

Over the summer, the city and bus companies agreed to two emergency extensions to keep service running, the second of which expires on Oct. 31.

Without a guarantee of an active contract after that date 鈥� since the PEP is not voting this month 鈥� the bus companies claim they have no choice but to consider layoffs.

The city, however, had 鈥渓ong planned鈥� to offer an emergency extension for November and December, and officials delivered the agreement to the bus companies on Monday, Aviles-Ramos said.

The PEP only votes on those extensions after they鈥檝e already taken effect, Faulkner noted.

The bus companies, he said, are attempting to 鈥渃reate confusion in order to hold us hostage for a longer term agreement.鈥�

The bus companies reject that assertion and say they simply cannot survive any longer on emergency extensions, which don鈥檛 allow them the kind of long-term certainty they need to operate their businesses.

鈥淏anks will not finance 30-day extensions, buses can鈥檛 be bought, payroll cannot be paid,鈥� said Sean Crowley, a lawyer representing several companies. 鈥淓nough is enough!鈥�

The companies claim that they have already worked out the contours of a new five-year contract extension with the city and are just awaiting the PEP鈥檚 approval, though Faulkner said the Education Department hasn鈥檛 yet presented the PEP with the contract.

What happens from here?

A spokesperson confirmed that several bus companies had received the city鈥檚 offer for another emergency contract extension and were reviewing the documents.

Aviles-Ramos said the city is working to get 鈥渁lternative transportation services鈥� in place if that falls through.

But even if the bus companies and city do manage to avoid a service shutdown Nov. 1, the episode raises larger questions about how to make lasting improvements in the troubled system. Ongoing make that task even harder.

The bus companies argue that the five-year contract agreement they sketched out with the city would achieve many of those goals, including stricter accountability to ensure drivers use GPS tracking, more staffing to field parent complaints, and monetary penalties for companies that underperform, according to testimony submitted to the PEP in September.

But critics continue to push for a shorter-term extension to give the state legislature time to pass EPP legislation, and clear the way for a rebid.

Mamdani has not offered specifics about how he would manage the school bus system, but said Tuesday that given the many concerns about yellow bus service, any contract extension deserves a 鈥渉ard look.鈥�

Some reformers point to changes already underway. Under Mayor Bill de Blasio, the city overseen by the city.

Matt Berlin, the CEO of that nonprofit, called NYCSBUS, and former director of the city鈥檚 Office of Pupil Transportation, believes the nonprofit model has 鈥渁 lot to offer the city鈥� and could expand.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at .

A Connecticut-based school bus company awarded an expanded contract to provide transportation for Rhode Island students is apologizing for service disruptions that left families scrambling to get their children to and from school in the first couple weeks of school.

Service disruptions attributed to a shortage of drivers led the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) to issue a corrective action plan last Friday to DATTCO Motorcoach, the company awarded a three-year, $20 million statewide bus contract in May. The contract expanded DATTCO鈥檚 existing service area to span most of the state, from Westerly to Woonsocket, and the majority of the state鈥檚 urban core.

It was unclear how many children were stranded without bus service, but they included children with disabilities who were not picked up for school or whose families were called to come get them in the afternoon because bus service became unavailable. The problems drew fierce condemnation on Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Rhode Island and Rhode Island Center for Justice. The advocacy organizations demanded in a that RIDE correct the issues by Tuesday, sooner than the deadline of 10 days RIDE set in its to DATTCO on Sept. 6.

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鈥淒ATTCO has left multiple students in wheelchairs for hours at their schools,鈥� Lisa Odom-Villella, deputy commissioner for instructional programs at RIDE, wrote in the Sept. 6 letter outlining a corrective action plan.

Families of kids who were left without school bus transportation may seek compensation for any resulting travel costs, according to state education officials. Parents of affected children have been contacted about the reimbursement process.

鈥淲e are deeply sorry to any students or families who were or continue to be affected by the challenges that we faced last week as the school year began,鈥� Paul Mayer, a spokesperson for DATTCO, wrote in an email Wednesday to Rhode Island Current.

Mayer said the vast majority of routes DATTCO services in Rhode Island are running as scheduled, and noted the company鈥檚 otherwise successful track record in recent years. 

鈥淲e know that it is not acceptable and that our apology must be followed up by action, and to that end we have already made significant progress with each passing day as routes become staffed with permanent drivers and aides.

鈥淭hough many of the immediate concerns raised have already been rectified or are in the process of being corrected, we know that our work is not done.鈥�

Morente said two routes would be affected on Thursday afternoon and that parents had already been contacted.

鈥淒ATTCO has reported that all morning routes now have drivers, but one route did not run because a driver was out sick,鈥� Morente wrote in an email Monday. 鈥淭he vast majority of students have not been impacted and DATTCO has sought ways to increase coverage.鈥�

After state officials first became aware of service problems on Aug. 29, they reassigned 26 of approximately 300 bus routes to First Student, which already services parts of Providence and Bristol counties for RIDE鈥檚 statewide bussing system. DATTCO admitted they had no way of fully staffing the routes.

鈥淩IDE was under the impression that all the remaining Dattco routes would be covered the week of September 3,鈥� Morente said. But it was clear that was untrue on the first day of school in Providence (school districts start at different times). RIDE became aware DATTCO was having individual drivers do multiple runs, which can slow and complicate service. RIDE took five more routes and awarded them to First Student, who had enough properly licensed drivers.

First Student, a national bussing company based in Cincinnati, will keep the 31 routes for the remainder of the three-year contract, Morente said. The routes run from the East Bay up to Woonsocket.

First Student did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

In May, state officials awarded most of their rezoned transportation districts to DATTCO after a competitive bid process 鈥� a move which drew union anger, , as Dattco is mostly non-union compared to First Student.

The ACLU and Rhode Island Center for Justice called on RIDE to immediately fix the problem and develop an alternative plan as a backup should DATTCO fail to provide necessary services again.

鈥淩IDE maintains responsibility for ensuring that students get the transportation required by their IEPs [individualized education programs, which are for students who receive special education] as of Sept. 3, 2024,鈥� the letter stated.

Looking for drivers

Anthony F. Cottone, RIDE鈥檚 chief legal counsel, responded to the ACLU letter Tuesday, saying there was 鈥渘o reason to believe that DATTCO was not capable of performing its contract 鈥� at the outset of the 2024-2025 school year,鈥� given that the company had already been providing bus services in parts of Rhode Island since 2020.

DATTCO that there was a licensing issue with its drivers, many of whom are based in Connecticut and lack the proper credentials to drive a school bus in Rhode Island. After news of the bus route issues broke, DATTCO posted to its Facebook page on that it was looking for Rhode Island drivers. A similar notice has been posted on its webpage since at least late August.

鈥淩IDE reached out to other vendors to cover additional routes but there were no more available CDL drivers,鈥� Morente said Tuesday.

Cottone鈥檚 letter pointed out that DATTCO鈥檚 logistical errors were due in part to sloppy planning: On Sept. 3, the agency received a 鈥渢ransportation plan鈥� from DATTCO which showed over 30 routes would have 鈥渄ouble runs,鈥� or one driver serving two routes.

鈥淭hat would result in children on such routes getting to school an average of 1 hour and 41 minutes late,鈥� Cottone wrote. 鈥淚t was evident that DATTCO both was short bus drivers and was suffering an internal communications breakdown.鈥�

鈥淩IDE immediately informed DATTCO that it was in breach of its contract鈥nd began brainstorming with the Governor鈥檚 Office and the Department of Motor Vehicles about ways to enable licensed Connecticut drivers to operate in Rhode Island,鈥� Cottone鈥檚 letter continues. 鈥淚n fact, DATTCO has since admitted, in writing, that this plan using 鈥榙ouble runs鈥� 鈥榳as not suitable.鈥欌��

Demands outlined

The ACLU and Rhode Island Center for Justice letter made six demands of RIDE: that the governor issue an emergency executive order, that RIDE鈥檚 website post information about affected bus routes the night prior, as well as create an alternate route for each affected route and a dedicated hotline for parents鈥� phone calls.

The letter urged RIDE to offer compensatory education for any school time missed, as well as travel costs for parents whose kids weren鈥檛 able to take the bus. The ACLU specified mileage at the federal rebate rate of 67 cents a mile plus $20 a day for parents who drive, or the cost of any car service used by parents who don鈥檛 drive.

Ellen Saideman, cooperating counsel for the ACLU, responded to the RIDE response in an interview Tuesday.

鈥淏asically they said that they鈥檙e doing everything that we wanted them to do,鈥� Saideman said. 鈥淚t does seem like they鈥檝e made some progress. They hired more bus drivers, more routes are covered鈥 think the point is that there was clearly a problem in this catastrophic start last week.鈥�

Cottone wrote in RIDE鈥檚 response Tuesday that eligible parents were notified they could request reimbursements through their resident school district, with the districts later reimbursed by RIDE, although it is unclear if the reimbursements will follow the model the ACLU wanted.

Morente said on Wednesday that all families of affected students had been informed by phone call and email about service delays, as well as information on how to seek reimbursements. Morente also forwarded parents can fill out for reimbursement, and explained the process.

鈥淒istricts reimburse parents, Statewide [the RIDE transportation system] credits districts on invoices after collecting the forms, and then payment to the vendor responsible for the interruption for the total month is reduced by the total parent costs,鈥� Morente wrote.

Saideman was still curious why the education department wasn鈥檛 more immediately up front about the steps it was taking to correct the problem.

鈥淲hy isn鈥檛 it posted on their website?鈥� Saideman said about the reimbursements. 鈥淚 think the point about transparency is鈥� it isn鈥檛 that hard to update your website and post information.鈥�

McKee鈥檚 office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Rhode Island Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janine L. Weisman for questions: info@rhodeislandcurrent.com. Follow Rhode Island Current on and .

When Mountain View Elementary on Hawaii Island began classes Monday, Aug. 5, Sherrie Galdeira was on the road with her son by 6:15 a.m. The Hawaii Department of Education had canceled school bus services for thousands of students just days before, and Galdeira was worried about fighting traffic with other parents who needed to drop off their children before the workday began. 

By that Friday, Galdeira was exhausted and frustrated with the time and costs of taking her son to school. DOE offers mileage reimbursement for families driving to campus, but completing the paperwork wasn鈥檛 worth the small amount of money she鈥檇 receive in exchange, Galdeira said. 

To save on gas money, Galdeira kept her son home from school that day.

鈥淢y whole concern is, number one, effective communication from the DOE and the government,鈥� Galdeira said. 鈥淭hey have to have known that this was coming.鈥� 

DOE restored bus routes for 23 schools, including Mountain View, on Monday, but 113 routes remain canceled for students on Oahu, the Big Island and Maui. This marks the  that DOE has made last-minute cancellations to its bus services for nearly 30,000 students. 

Frustrated families and lawmakers are now demanding accountability from DOE and its contractor, Ground Transport Inc., which started the year unable to fill 147 of its routes. Ground Transport received the bulk of DOE鈥檚 bus contracts earlier this year and serves 10 of the 16 school complexes.

So far, the company has been able to restore five of its routes since the start of the school year. Ground Transport did not respond to requests for comment. 

DOE has consolidated and canceled routes dating , and driver shortages have only worsened since the pandemic. Some lawmakers and others say Hawaii should reconsider the way it contracts out to bus companies 鈥� or if schools should be relying on private vendors at all. 

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the first hurdle in learning,鈥� Rep. Amy Perruso said about the canceled routes. Perruso has previously  that would allow DOE to own its own buses and provide transportation services to students.   

DOE doesn鈥檛 have a timeline for restoring all of its routes, although Deputy Superintendent Randy Moore hopes all students will have access to bus transportation by the time the first quarter ends in early October. 

Fewer Companies, Fewer Drivers 

When DOE began a new round of bus contracts in July, the  went to two companies 鈥� Roberts Hawaii and Ground Transport. A third company received routes for a single complex on Kauai. 

Now, families and community members are questioning DOE鈥檚 decision to give Ground Transport so much responsibility for serving Hawaii schools. According to , Ground Transport took on 91 new schools and expanded its services to the Big Island for the first time this year. 

Changes to the state鈥檚 contracting process, along with a steady decline in bus drivers, may explain DOE鈥檚 difficulties. 

Around 2014, DOE revised its contracting process to drive down  and make bus routes more efficient, said Ray L鈥橦eureux, who served as an assistant superintendent from 2012 to 2015. Instead of allowing bus companies to serve individual campuses, DOE asked vendors to bid on packages that grouped together multiple routes and schools. 

The change required owners to serve more students and neighborhoods for several years at a time and made it harder for smaller companies to compete with statewide providers, who had huge fleets and hundreds of employees, said Cassie Akina-Ancog, general manager of Akina Tours & Transportation on Maui. Akina lost its bid to serve Maui schools in 2017 and hasn鈥檛 contracted with DOE since. 

As smaller bus companies are pushed out of business, states may see a decline in their driver workforce, said Curt Macysyn, executive director of the National School Transportation Association. Long-time drivers may be unwilling to stay in the school bus business after their local company closes, he added. 

It鈥檚 also difficult for small providers to survive when there鈥檚 so few drivers available in the state, said John Scovel, who formerly served as the general manager of Iosepa Transportation. A wave of workers retired during the Covid-19 pandemic, and it鈥檚 difficult for new employees to earn their specialized bus driver licenses and survive on jobs that only offer them a few hours of pay in the early mornings and afternoons, Scovel said. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 a struggle because the cost versus the profit margin isn鈥檛 there,鈥� Scovel said. Iosepa Transportation served Big Island schools until DOE chose not to extend its contract earlier this year. 

What Happened? 

DOE knew well before the start of school that Ground Transport was coming up short on employees. Companies need to submit a roster of their drivers 45 days before the new school year begins and complete a dry run of their routes over a week before classes start. 

Moore said the department followed these procedures but believed Ground Transport would be able to hire more employees by the end of summer vacation. He said he wasn鈥檛 notified until late July that Ground Transport would be unable to fulfill more than 100 of its routes beginning Aug. 5. 

To fill the gaps, Roberts Hawaii has entered into weekly contracts with DOE to restore nearly 30 routes that were originally assigned to Ground Transport. Moore said he鈥檚 unsure how much the department is paying Roberts for these services, but emphasized that Ground Transport is not receiving payment for the routes it isn鈥檛 covering.

Instead, he said, the unused money is going toward other transportation initiatives, like reimbursing parents for mileage or covering the cost of county bus passes for high school students. 

Lawmakers have questioned why Ground Transport should keep its seven-year contract moving forward. The state will spend $85 million on school bus contracts for the 2024-25 academic year.  

Up until this year, Roberts Hawaii covered some of the routes on Big Island, Oahu and Maui that Ground Transport is currently unable to serve, said JoAnn Erban, Roberts’ vice president of sales and marketing. The company has sufficient bus drivers and would be willing to take on more routes for the rest of the school year, Erban said.

When lawmakers pressed school leaders at a hearing Thursday on why they awarded so many contracts to Ground Transport earlier this year, Moore said DOE doesn鈥檛 necessarily award routes to the contractor with the lowest prices. Instead, the department places a heavy emphasis on other factors like a company鈥檚 safety procedures, its future plans to use zero-emission buses and its efforts to recruit and retain drivers.

But Erban said she believes DOE needs to place a greater consideration on a company鈥檚 track record of serving students. Roberts consistently covered 94% of its routes last year, she said, and has school buses and base yards throughout the state.  

鈥淎t the end of the day, it鈥檚 up to them to make the changes,鈥� Erban said about DOE’s approach to contracts. 

Solutions On The Horizon 

Moore told legislators the department’s focus is on restoring routes as quickly as possible. From there, he said, school leaders will start looking at future improvements.

For example, Moore said, DOE is considering staggering school start times so fewer drivers can cover more routes before classes start. Additionally, the department could potentially hire drivers as part-time cafeteria workers or custodians during the school day to provide them more steady employment, he said. 

Perruso said the state could also look beyond private services for possible long-term answers. 

On the mainland, some school districts have their own fleet of vehicles and run their own bus services. If Hawaii took a similar approach, Perruso said, DOE wouldn鈥檛 face the uncertainty of relying on outside contractors. It would also be easier for the department to hire employees who could split their time driving buses and working on campus, although the state could face a large upfront cost in purchasing its own school buses.  

“We definitely need to be thinking about transition, because the status quo isn鈥檛 working,” Perruso said.

This was originally published on .

Children who ride school buses without climate control will have to continue to endure Louisiana鈥檚 extreme heat and occasional cold snaps. State legislators shelved legislation last week to require buses to have heating and air conditioning throughout the vehicles.

The Louisiana House of Representatives voted 56-43 to kill , sponsored by Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, that would have mandated climate control measures on all buses serving public schools by 2032.

House Republicans, mostly representing rural areas, said their school districts would not be able to afford such a requirement.

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鈥淭his is an unfunded mandate that a lot of school boards just cannot bear,鈥� Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, said.

Louisiana鈥檚 school year begins in August, when the heat index can regularly exceed 100 degrees. Many public school systems do not have air conditioning on all of their buses, .

Only two of 44 school buses in Calcasieu Parish have air conditioning, and they are used specifically for special education students. Just a third of the school buses in East Baton Rouge Parish and 79 of 278 school buses in Rapides Parish have air conditioning.

Some jurisdictions 鈥� including Baton Rouge, Jefferson Ouachita, Tangipahoa and Morehouse parishes 鈥� recently used federal grants to purchase new buses with air conditioning. Ascension, Lafayette and Grant parishes also paid this year to air condition their fleets.

State law already requires school buses to be replaced once they reach 25 years old. Purchasing a new bus costs between $50,000 and $200,000, legislative staff said. Heating and air conditioning on a bus increases its cost by $10,000 to $15,000, according to the Louisiana Department of Education.

鈥淢y poor little town is broker than the Ten Commandments,鈥� said Rep. Dewith Carrier, R-Oakdale, who opposed the legislation.

Other legislators said the state needs to be concerned more about the health and welfare of school children.

鈥淟et me ask this question: Who serving in this House doesn鈥檛 have air conditioning in their car?鈥� said Rep. Robby Carter, D-Greensburg, during House floor debate on the legislation. 鈥淲e get it for ourselves. Why not get it for our kids?鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on and .

Every weekday morning and afternoon, a fleet of yellow buses rolls out all over the state, picking up and dropping off Georgia students.

Keeping all those wheels turning isn鈥檛 cheap 鈥� Georgia鈥檚 school districts combined spend more than $1.2 billion to safely shuttle kids between school and home 鈥� and costs are only getting higher as more students enroll and the costs of buses, fuel and labor rise.

For more than two decades, local districts have been stuck footing those bills. According to the Georgia Budget Policy Institute, the amount of money the state pitches in for transportation has been basically stagnant since the early 2000s. Those state dollars used to fund over half of the districts鈥� transportation costs, but now only cover about 17%.

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Gov. Brian Kemp鈥檚 proposed 2025 budget, which he unveiled Thursday, aims to pick up an additional $205 million of that, accounting for 40% of operational costs. The new spending is part of a planned $1.4 billion in new education spending, which also includes teacher raises and grants for school safety.

鈥淢eeting our obligations as a fiscally conservative state means meeting our obligations to our local school systems,鈥� Kemp wrote.

New money for yellow buses may not be as attention-grabbing as raises for teachers or a grant to hire school resource officers, but those dollars will go a long way, said Stephen Owens, director of education at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.

鈥淯nlike in the past where it鈥檚 been this one time funding, this forever sets the baseline higher,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is a huge step forward for these districts. And when you pair that with other formula changes like the $100 million for school security grants, for that to be a continued line item for schools, the impact is going to be amazing for districts.鈥�

The amount is not set to change with inflation, Owens added, so if costs continue to rise in the years to come, a future governor and legislators will need to take action to keep funding at the same level. But for now, reducing the costs of buses will free up schools to pay for all the other things they need.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to see a lot of these funds that come down from the state just as a whole pot of money because of the vast amount of flexibility we provide districts on how to spend dollars from the state,鈥� Owens said. 鈥淪o that will open up dollars for better pay for substitutes, up to date curriculum, maybe continuing some of the programs that they started during the pandemic with federal dollars now with local dollars.鈥�

Federal pandemic relief funds are set to dry up in September for schools nationwide, and districts, especially those in lower-wealth areas, will likely face cuts to staff, programs and extracurriculars.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John McCosh for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. Follow Georgia Recorder on and .

Fifteen school districts, charter schools and tribal schools will share nearly $27 million in federal dollars to purchase 114 electric buses as part of the EPA鈥檚 Clean School Bus Grant Program, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday.

Cooper said in a statement that electric buses help protect children from harmful diesel fumes, cut carbon emissions, save money on bus maintenance and repairs, and create good jobs.

鈥淭his investment is good for our students, schools, economy and planet and I appreciate the Biden Administration for investing in our communities across North Carolina,鈥� Cooper said.

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The state was awarded 31 buses under the Clean School Bus Program in 2022. Cooper鈥檚 administration funded 43 electric buses in 2022 through a settlement with Volkswagen. North Carolina received $92 million as part of a nationwide multi-billion-dollar penalty assessed by the EPA on the car company, which violated the Clean Air Act by cheating on millions of emissions tests.

North Carolina has added 188 electric buses within the past two years. The majority of the new buses will be sent to low-income, rural and/or tribal communities that serve more than 300,000 students in 13 counties.

Durham Public Schools will receive 38 buses, which is the largest share of the 114. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will receive 27, Cherokee Central schools 15 and Kannapolis City Schools eight. Five buses have been awarded to two Durham charter schools 鈥� Maureen Joy Charter School will receive four, and Reaching All Minds Academy was awarded one bus.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on and .

Each weekday, more than half of the K-12 students in the U.S. 鈥� 鈥� ride a school bus. Until very recently, nearly all of these ran on diesel fuel.

Nationwide, diesel-powered school buses produce of carbon dioxide emissions. They also generate that are harmful to children鈥檚 health 鈥� especially . Studies show that exposure to diesel tailpipe emissions and can lead to increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits.

Shifting to cleaner buses is especially important for low-income students. Across the U.S., ride the school bus, compared with 45% of other students. School buses often while they are loading or unloading, which exposes children directly to exhaust fumes.

I study issues at the intersection of , including sustainability and equity in transportation. While electrifying school bus fleets requires big investments, I believe the evidence makes clear that it will more than pay off over the long term in health and economic benefits, and I am encouraged to see public and private investments moving in that direction.

Early movers

Decisions about switching from diesel to electric school buses typically lie with cities and school districts, although state governments are getting involved. As of , 415 school districts or contracted fleet operators had committed to deploy 12,275 electric school buses in a wide range of settings, from large cities to rural counties, across 38 states and lands of two Native American tribes.

California, a in clean vehicle policy, acquired its first electric school buses in 2014. Now the state is spending nearly US$70 million to to advance its climate and air-quality goals.

Another notable case is Montgomery County, the largest school district in Maryland, which is and building five charging depots. The district serves a diverse population of .

In Virginia, the utility company Dominion Energy that it would provide 50 electric buses for 16 school districts across the state as one of its initiatives to reduce pollution and promote sustainability. Dominion is paying for infrastructure costs and absorbing the cost difference between a diesel and an electric bus.

The biggest obstacles: Funding and space

As Dominion鈥檚 gesture suggests, converting bus fleets isn鈥檛 an easy step for many school districts. An electric school bus , of a diesel bus.

But electric buses have , so they save districts an estimated $4,000 to $11,000 per bus per year compared with diesel versions. That can make the costs of electric buses comparable over their lifetimes.

Electric bus motors have about 20 parts, compared with 2,000 in a diesel engine, and require far fewer maintenance steps such as regular fluid changes. And because many of their mechanical systems, such as braking and steering, are similar to those in diesel buses, electric buses are relatively easy to service, especially in districts where both bus types operate.

Charging stations also require money and space, especially in areas where bus routes are long and battery range is a constraint. Most buses now on the market have ranges of about to (160-190 kilometers) on a single charge.

In a 2013 study, analysts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory reviewed school bus drive cycles in Colorado, New York and Washington and found that the average school bus was typically in operation for . Driving distance averaged about 32 miles, (50 kilometers), with some buses traveling over 127 miles (200 kilomaters) daily.

School districts need places to charge buses easily and efficiently, especially between morning and afternoon routes. Building this infrastructure, especially as diesel buses continue to operate concurrently with growing electric fleets, can pose a challenge in school districts where .

Buses as power sources

At the same time, charging infrastructure can make school bus fueling and management more efficient. Today鈥檚 allows districts to plug in a bus whenever it is parked at the depot but have the bus charge only when needed. Chargers can be programmed to function at times of day when energy demand is lowest and power is less expensive.

Manufacturers are introducing buses equipped with that can send stored electricity back to the grid when they are not in service. During summer months, when many school buses are not in use and power usage often peaks, utilities soon may be able to call on school districts to make charged buses available to help ease demand load. These buses can also during power outages and emergencies.

In a 2022 study, researchers at the University of North Carolina analyzed how the state鈥檚 utilities could use school buses with vehicle-to-grid charging to manage peak power demand while taking the buses鈥� schedules into account. They estimated that a fleet of 14,000 buses could on an average winter weekend day in North Carolina, reducing utilities鈥� dependence on natural gas and avoiding up to 1,130 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per day.

Cleaner air is likely to pay off in improved student performance. In a , researchers found that 2,656 diesel buses in Georgia 鈥� adding new components to reduce the buses鈥� emissions 鈥� was associated with positive effects on students鈥� respiratory health, and that districts with retrofitted diesel buses experienced test score gains in English and math. Since even modernized diesel vehicles still generate air pollutants, shifting to electric buses would likely produce even larger increases.

Spreading the benefits

Federal and state agencies are moving to speed up the transition to electric school buses. The American Rescue Plan, enacted in 2021 to provide economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, included for school districts in underserved communities, Tribal schools and private fleets serving schools that purchase electric buses.

In March 2022 the Environmental Protection Agency for 23 electric school bus replacement programs and associated charging infrastructure in 11 states. And New York state鈥檚 includes a nation-leading requirement that all new school bus purchases must be electric starting in July 2027, and that all school buses in service must be zero-emission by 2035. The budget allocates $500 million in potential state funding for school bus electrification as part of a larger environmental bond act, which will be on the ballot in November 2022.

Riding the iconic yellow school bus is a formative experience for millions of kids across the U.S. If more districts make the shift away from diesel, I believe it will become a greener and healthier trip and a step toward the zero-emissions future our nation鈥檚 children deserve.

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

Without viable transportation options, some families can鈥檛 reap the benefits of school choice even if they want to. States can pass laws to allow students to enroll in public schools outside of their zip codes 鈥� but those opportunities are meaningful only if families can afford to make the trip.

While solving the transportation puzzle is as much a logistical challenge as it is a policy one, one thing is clear: Traditional yellow school bus routes alone won鈥檛 cut it.

K-12 school transportation is one of the most regulated sectors in the nation鈥檚 economy. At the federal level alone, can promulgate laws and regulations that directly affect the industry. Generally, these laws and rules relate to safety standards for school buses as well as the vehicles’ sales and manufacturing. States impose regarding who qualifies for K-12 school transportation, how it鈥檚 paid for and the types of vehicles public school districts can use.

Understandably, these heavy regulations aim to maximize student safety. But they aren鈥檛 without their tradeoffs.

First, federal and state rules heavily limit the types of vehicles districts can employ for school transportation. For instance, according to from Bellwether Education Partners, only eight states allow for the use of smaller passenger vans for carrying children to and from school. And even in this small group of states that don鈥檛 limit themselves to big yellow buses, the availability of alternative vehicles is severely restricted by federal regulations prohibiting the sale of any vehicles to schools, public or private, that don鈥檛 meet the definition of a 鈥渟chool bus鈥� by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The agency only allows for seven types of buses to be sold for the purpose of transporting students to and from school. These are specialized vehicles that leave schools with limited choices, and concern every aspect of their design, from stop safety arms to seat size.听

State laws also make it difficult to accommodate students who cross . According to a 2020 published by EdChoice, only six states require transportation services for any student enrolled in a public school district outside their own at a level roughly equivalent to what districts must provide for students who live within their boundaries. In most cases, either don鈥檛 address who is responsible for school transportation when students cross district lines or put the onus on the families.

Of course, districts can鈥檛 be expected to provide whatever level of transportation service nonresident families might desire 鈥� that would be unreasonable. But if a district is prepared to receive the education funds that accompany a new enrollee from outside its boundaries, some level of transportation support should be provided for that student, ideally by the district.听

In the same way that schools are expected to use a students’ education dollars to teach them, they should provide transportation services or, at least, funding to help the family organize alternatives.

Wisconsin, for instance, places responsibility for transportation across district boundaries on parents, but there is state of up to $1,200 a year for low-income families who participate in interdistrict school choice. While the policy isn鈥檛 perfect, it prudently recognizes both district limitations in providing transportation services and families’ limitations in paying out of pocket to get their kids to a school that serves them best.

In addition to clearing away policy barriers that restrict transportation access for students exercising school choice, state legislators should also allow districts to look beyond big yellow buses. While federal regulations make it difficult for school districts to purchase a more diverse fleet of vehicles, states like Arizona now provide financial incentives for school districts with ridesharing companies like HopSkipDrive, which specializes in school transportation.听

operates similarly to other ridesharing companies like Uber, albeit with more thoroughly vetted drivers who can use any four-door vehicle that鈥檚 less than 10 years old. The company offers specialized services that the yellow school bus system can鈥檛 efficiently provide, such as transportation for individual students with disabilities or for small groups of children to schools of choice or sporting events. 

No silver bullet will solve the transportation challenges brought about by increasing public school choice. But if state policymakers place greater responsibility for transportation on public education providers and give school districts greater flexibility to find solutions, school choice will be more attainable for more families.

Christian Barnard is a senior policy analyst at .