Costs for transporting public school students have risen 33% from 2008 to 2018, reaching, on average, $1,152 per student transported. The reasons behind this shift include higher labor costs, various forms of school choice requiring longer commutes from students' neighborhoods, and environmentally friendly upgrades to bus fleets. As a result, some…

Diesel buses and personal vehicle trips for school transportation emit millions of tons of greenhouse gases per year into the environment, which contribute to global warming, and expose children to harmful pollutants that can affect their health and academic performance. What would it take for the yellow school bus--and school transportation…

In consideration of the many challenges associated with Qatar's continued growth and demographic changes, the government of Qatar is interested in updating its school transportation system (STS). This volume assesses the perspectives of parents and school administrators on Qatar's STS, identifies a vision and goals for the STS, reviews…

Whenever a school district considers changing bus stops, bus routes, or bell times, the public reaction is often decidedly unequal to the magnitude of the changes proposed. Unfortunately, the severity of continued budget crises has compelled many school districts to make major changes to their transportation systems. While additional cuts in…

This article reports that with fuel prices soaring nationwide, reaching more than $4 for each gallon of gas or diesel, school districts are struggling to supplement transportation-budget shortfalls and find ways to offset the increasing costs as a new school year approaches. Now districts--most of whose buses run on diesel fuel--are scrambling to…

Lists several safety features for school buses and their approximate costs. School districts often miss out on these features if they operate under a low-bid-takes-all purchasing system. (Author/WM)

Cooperative Research Project 1605 was concerned with the use of a computer (in the IBM 1620 SPS programing language) in designing school bus routes. This is the concluding report of that project which is here converted into the FORTRAN language. Other objectives were to expand and refine the program, increase its speed, and reduce its costs. The…

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)

To develop and test a model for both describing and predicting Iowa school districts' pupil transportation costs, the author first tested the generalizability of a 1980 study by McAvoy of 37 Iowa districts and then identified independent variables that would explain Iowa pupil transportation costs. Data were gathered on all 447 Iowa districts for…

A representative of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration weighs advantages and discusses issues associated with installing seat belts in school buses. Federal regulations and research findings are considered. A list of guideline questions for school districts planning to install seat belts is included. (PP)

Despite what a study indicated, one school district found that operating its own fleet of buses was cheaper and better than contracting for service with the local transit company. (Author/IRT)

Because diesel engines are more economical and longer-lasting than gasoline engines, school districts are rapidly increasing their use of diesel buses. Dependence on diesel power, however, entails vulnerability to cost increases due to the unreliability of crude oil supplies and contributes to air pollution. (MCG)

The insurance industry has experienced a round of claims costs as a result of recent natural disasters. These costs are passed on to customers. To avoid higher premiums, student-transportation systems can take the following money-saving steps: raise the deductible; beef up driver training; focus on driver retention; and get the fleet's loss…

This detailed report and analysis of school bus transportation in Indiana is divided into the following topics: transportation policies; bus utilization; the bus driver and his terms of employment; bus ownership; insurance, storage, maintenance, and fuel costs; bus ownership and costs; and the transportation director. A strong case is made for…