Parents question policy that denies bus transportation within 1.5 miles of school
Aug 15, 2024, 5:00 PM
Jefferson County Public Schools school buses packed with students makes their way through the Detrick Bus Compound on the first day of school Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. Kentucky’s largest school system has cancelled the second and third day of school after a disastrous overhaul of the transportation system that left some children on buses until almost 10 p.m. on opening day. Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio calls it a “transportation disaster” in a video posted on social media. (Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal via AP) Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal via AP)
SALT LAKE CITY – A new bus transportation policy says a bus ride to and from school is only offered to elementary school students if they live more than a mile and a half from school. Some parents are not happy about it.
Lisa Freeman says her family was recently denied transportation for her twin 6-year-olds at Freedom Elementary.
“A mile is far,” Freeman said. “You’re wanting them to walk a mile at 7 a.m., do an eight-hour school day and then walk home, and then possibly have homework? They’re tired. They’re six.”
Due to new schools and boundary line changes in the Weber School District, the Freemans had to switch schools. This year, they went from Midland Elementary to Freedom Elementary, which is slightly closer to their house.
“Because they are now within a mile and a half of Freedom, they are now within the walk zone and don’t qualify for transportation,” said Lane Findlay, Weber School District’s community relations and safety specialist.
Findlay says these are based on requirements from a state law that went into effect on May 1, 2024. It states that students are only eligible for state-supported transportation on two main cases. One is if they are in kindergarten through grade 6 and live farther than one and a half miles from the school. The other is if they are in grades 7 through 12 and live more than two miles from the school.
Transportation funding is provided only on some exceptions due to safety factors. However, Findlay says those criteria are hard to meet.
Bus transportation policy raises other concerns
Freeman says safety is a concern in her family’s case. She claims her kids would have to walk along a busy road to get to school, something she doesn’t feel safe having them do. However, due to her and her husband’s work schedules, they may not have another option.
Another problem is that the Weber School District is dealing with a bus driver shortage. Findlay says even if they wanted to expand the bus routes to include more families, they do not have the resources to support additional routes.
