Financing enables school districts to operate new buses when funds for outright purchase are not available. This article examines reasons, sources, and pitfalls of school bus financing. (MLF)

Choosing the number, types, and sizes of school buses requires analysis of the following factors: the number and distribution of students who need transportation; characteristics of the district such as topography, narrowness of streets, and rural or urban location; extracurricular activities and special education programs; and economics and…

Tough new environmental laws, coupled with fluctuating oil prices, are likely to prompt hundreds of school systems to examine alternative fuels. Literature reviews and interviews with 45 government, education, and industry officials provided data for a comparative analysis of gasoline, diesel, natural gas, methanol, and propane. (MLF)

The annual cost of repair to a Wood County (West Virginia) typical bus (called "Number 87") mounts in ever-steeper steps. The usage-and-repair study underscores the disparity between legislative educational planning nearly a decade ago and the facts of school life today. (Author/MLF)

Besides redistricting problems engendered by higher elementary school enrollments (and decreasing secondary enrollments), school administrators face student transport challenges. Acquiring new routes and larger buses could be costly. This article advances computerized systems as the most cost-effective way to optimize routes and manage…

Suggests specific ways for school districts to control rapidly rising transportation costs and assure many years of quality service. (Author/MLF)

Alternative fuels are becoming increasingly attractive from environmental, energy independence, and economic perspectives. Addresses the following topics: (1) federal and state legislation; (2) alternative fuels and their attributes; (3) practical experience with alternative-fuel vehicles in pupil transportation; and (4) options for school…

School systems will soon be using microcomputers to design their school bus routes and aid in the management of transportation programs. Offers guidelines to bring microcomputer bus management to school systems. (MLF)

Describes a way to compare the costs of operating or contracting buses by breaking down total expenses and comparing specific costs both for each type of service (such as regular transportation to school, special education, or athletic events) and for all types of expenditures ranging from maintenance to preparing payrolls. (Author/JM)

Examines privatization of pupil transportation and suggests that asset ownership may be separated from asset operation. Discusses the advantages of a school district owning its school buses if operation is contracted out. (MLF)

Computerized bus-routing systems plot the most efficient routes, cut the time it takes to draw routes, and generate reports quickly and accurately. However, school districts often underestimate the amount of work necessary to get information into the computer database. (MLF)

The Computerized Fleet Maintenance (CFM) program of a New York school district has major component areas of garage operation, vehicle replacement, and fuel consumption. CFM detects high expenditures and provides the rationale for bus replacement. (MLF)

Beginning on the front cover, this article tells how school districts are reducing their transportation costs. Particularly effective measures include the use of computers for bus maintenance and scheduling, school board ownership of buses, and the conversion of gasoline-powered buses to alternative fuels. (Author/MLF)

Computerized pupil transportation systems offer promising benefits to school districts. Outlines ways school administrators can select the right product by following some traditional business approaches. (MLF)

School transportation experts consider the following essential rules in purchasing school buses: know your geography; know federal and state regulations; write specifications carefully; plan for replacement and growth; check out prospective bidders; keep up with recent trends; and remain flexible. New Jersey enacted a law last year requiring seat…