Transportation

School buses sit in a lot on Feb. 6, 2024, in Virginia Beach, Va.
School buses sit in a lot on Feb. 6, 2024, in Virginia Beach, Va. School districts are again struggling to find enough bus drivers for the 2024-25 school year.
Tom Brenner/AP
School & District Management Schools Don't Have Enough Bus Drivers to Start the School Year—Again
Bus driver shortages have worsened nationwide since 2020. Many districts are still scrambling to find enough people to transport students.
Mark Lieberman, August 15, 2024
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6 min read
A student races to the school bus after dismissal, Thursday, May 9, 2024, at Tri-Point Elementary and Junior High School in Piper City, Ill.
A student races to the school bus after dismissal on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at Tri-Point Elementary and Junior High School in Piper City, Ill. A new report illustrates how the oldest school buses in the nation are concentrated in districts with large low-income populations, contributing to poor air quality that can hurt students' academic performance.
Joshua A. Bickel/AP
Student Well-Being The Districts Where School Buses Emit the Most Toxic Fumes
Poor air quality hurts students' health and academic performance, research has shown, and diesel-powered buses are a contributor.
Mark Lieberman, August 6, 2024
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6 min read
Focus is on a flashing school bus stop sign in the foreground as a group of schoolchildren cross a parking lot with the help of a crossing guard in the distance.
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School Climate & Safety Roads Around Schools Are Unsafe, Principals Say. Here's What to Do About It
Traffic conditions aren't fully within school leaders' control. But there are still steps schools can take to help students arrive safely.
Caitlynn Peetz, July 10, 2024
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4 min read
Yellow electric school bus plugged in at a charging station.
Thomas W Farlow/iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance Why Some Districts Rejected Cash to Buy Electric Buses—And Others Want More
A handful of federal programs have been key to accelerating the adoption of electric school buses.
Mark Lieberman, July 8, 2024
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5 min read
Group of children board schoolbus
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Budget & Finance Some Districts Charge for School Bus Rides—If They Offer Transportation at All
Transportation charges are rarely scrutinized, but advocates say they're an equity issue.
Mark Lieberman, June 25, 2024
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4 min read
Photo illustration of school bus and people exchanging cash.
F. Sheehan for Education Week + Getty
Budget & Finance Why Some K-12 Students Have to Pay for a Bus Ride to School
Transportation costs force some districts to consider charging fees for students who live near school buildings to ride the bus.
Mark Lieberman & Caitlynn Peetz, April 25, 2024
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7 min read
Stockton Unified School District's new electric bus fleet reduces over 120,000 pounds of carbon emissions and leverages The Mobility House's smart charging and energy management system.
A new rule from the Environmental Protection Agency sets higher fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles. By 2032, it projects, 40 percent of new medium heavy-duty vehicles, including school buses, will be electric.
Business Wire via AP
Federal Electric School Buses Get a Boost From New State and Federal Policies
New federal standards for emissions could accelerate the push to produce buses that run on clean energy.
Mark Lieberman, April 2, 2024
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3 min read
Yellow electric school bus plugged in at a charging station.
Thomas W Farlow/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Electric Buses Hit Some Road Bumps, But They're Still Catching On
The number of electric school buses is rising—and there’s no shortage of growing pains involving funding, legal mandates, and operations.
Mark Lieberman, February 26, 2024
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8 min read
Photo of rescue workers and turned over school bus.
Brandy Taylor / iStock / Getty Images Plus
School Climate & Safety Are School Buses Safe? An Expert Explains
A perennial concern is getting new attention.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 12, 2024
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4 min read
Buses parked covered with snow
iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance Bus Contracts: The Pros and Cons for School Districts Outsourcing Transportation
Districts see more predictable costs and get valuable expertise, but high costs send some back to an in-house model.
Mark Lieberman, December 11, 2023
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1 min read
School buses parked in Helena, Mont., ahead of the beginning of the school year on Aug. 20, 2021.
Some districts are pulling back on decisions to outsource bus services in an effort to save money and improve service.
Iris Samuels/AP
School & District Management Late Arrivals, Steep Costs: Why Some Districts Ditch Third-Party Bus Companies
Districts are facing a host of transportation challenges. Some have addressed them by deciding to bring buses back in house.
Mark Lieberman, November 30, 2023
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6 min read
110223 bikebus SM BS
Sam Mallon/Education Week
Student Well-Being Video The Bike Bus: A Weekly Parade With Huge Benefits for Students
This alternative mode of transportation has huge benefits for students, and only requires five components to make it happen.
Kaylee Domzalski & Sam Mallon, November 2, 2023
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3:25
Photograph of a school bus loading children on a busy road.
Greg Randles/iStock
Ed-Tech Policy FCC: Schools Can Use E-Rate Funds to Cover WiFi on Buses
The change will help students with long commutes to and from school study and complete homework, supporters say.
Alyson Klein, October 19, 2023
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2 min read
Randal Lutz, superintendent of Baldwin-Whitehall school district near Pittsburgh and a soon-to-be certified school bus driver, climbs aboard a bus prior to dismissal.
Randal Lutz, superintendent of Baldwin-Whitehall School District in Pittsburgh and soon-to-be certified school bus driver, climbs aboard a bus prior to dismissal.
Photo courtesy of Randal Lutz
School & District Management Why This Superintendent Is Taking the School Bus Driver Shortage Into His Own Hands
This school leader is hoping to reverse his district's shortage of bus drivers, by becoming one.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 12, 2023
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5 min read
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