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 districts face tough choices: cut into classroom funds to keep buses running, look to other funding sources, reduce or eliminate bus service, or charge families for transportation. These challenges have put a spotlight on state funding for school transportation. This brief addresses the following questions: (1) Why is funding for school transportation important? and (2) Who is responsible for school transportation funding?