Solving school transportation troubles with Title I funds

Key factors:

• Schools typically overlook funding sources that may assist with bus challenges
• Solving school transportation points is one other means to make sure all college students have equitable entry to academic alternatives
• See associated article: 4 greatest practices to help and retain school leaders

More than half of scholars within the U.S. attend high-poverty public schools–and in some states, that proportion is far increased. In Mississippi, for instance, roughly 92 p.c of scholars attend high-poverty colleges.

These college students are sometimes subjected to daunting challenges, however getting a experience to school shouldn’t be one among them. Federally funded sources can be found that can be utilized to assist colleges and districts deal with pupil transportation wants. But right here’s the factor: too few districts are benefiting from these sources. And because of this, too many college students are struggling to get to their school rooms safely, constantly, and on time.

Districts are overlooking funds that would assist college students

The damaging impression of this battle is one thing I’ve seen up shut as a result of I was each behind the wheel and behind the operations of school transportation for almost 20 years. I began off driving a yellow school bus for the Naperville Community Unit School District in Illinois. After seven years as a driver, I grew to become the assistant transportation director for Naperville’s school district.

I then moved to Des Moines Public Schools, the place I served because the director of transportation for Iowa’s largest school district. While there, I dealt with the complete vary of transportation challenges colleges can encounter, and needed to get inventive to search out options that ensured each pupil had a experience to school. That expertise introduced me to my present position serving to districts discover options to a few of the most difficult, hard-to-serve journeys. For most of the districts I work with, supporting these college students wouldn’t be potential with out funding from Title I.