In 1981 the transportation costs of an Ohio school district had increased 63 percent over a four-year period. A cost-cutting program was initiated that year, and by 1984 transportation cost increases had been cut to one percent. Includes a list of seven factors that contributed to the cost-cutting program. (MD)

Describes how school districts, faced with shrinking resources, have cut costs for student transportation. To combat rising transportation costs, districts have charged fees for student transportation, entered into private contracts, cut transportation services, used alternative fuels, and streamlined bus routes and schedules. (LMI)

School boards can cut transportation costs by finding out whether busing required for desegregation can be reduced, whether the district is getting all possible state transportation aid, whether owning or contracting for vehicles is cheaper, whether bus routes are economical, and whether joint transportation programs with neighboring districts can…