Each week, “Answer Key” aims to help families by responding to an important question about education and schools in Greater Houston. If you have a question for us to answer, please email us at education@houstonlanding.org or fill out the form at the end of this article.

This week’s question:

Why doesn’t my school district offer a bus ride to my child?

Each school day, hundreds of thousands of Houston-area students walk to campus, sometimes crossing busy roads, or need to catch a ride to classes.

That’s because many children aren’t offered the option to ride a bus to school, the result of state policy that essentially limits who gets a free ride to campus. 

In Houston ISD, the region’s largest school district, only 5 percent of students ride the bus on a daily basis. Cy-Fair ISD, the area’s second largest district, provides bus rides to slightly less than half of students.

Here’s why many students don’t ride the bus, how the state determines funding for transportation services and what some Houston-area districts provide their students:

Why do school districts only offer a bus ride to certain students?

State legislators have decided Texas public school districts should only get funding to offer transportation to students who live two or more miles away from their campus of regular attendance, with limited exceptions.

School districts can offer bus access to students who live closer than two miles from campus, but generally, they don’t get money to cover the costs. As a result, districts would need to take money from other areas, such as teacher salaries or school programs, to pay the added costs.

Does this rule apply to all students?

No. Districts can apply for limited state funding to offer students transportation in certain cases. 

A district may offer bus rides to students who live within a mile of the campus and live in an area considered hazardous or at high risk of violence if they were to walk to school. 

Hazardous traffic includes places where there is no walkway and a student must walk under a freeway, underpass, a bridge and other comparable conditions. A lack of sidewalks does not mean there isn’t a walkway, according to state guidelines.

State law does not define what is considered a high risk of violence, though it does say school districts must use local law enforcement records when making the case that an area qualifies. 

These exceptions have to be approved by the state before additional funding is provided.

Districts can also apply for funding to provide students transportation to and from magnet schools and after-school programs. 

Students with special education needs, such as children with a learning disability, autism or a physical disability, are also eligible for door-to-door service if they would be unable to attend classes without special transportation. Districts can get state funding for their transportation.

What are Houston-area district’s policies? And how can you find out if a student is eligible for a ride?

Houston-area school districts offer students bus rides on a daily basis, but each one has different options for their students. 

Alief ISD: Richard Torres, director of transportation at Alief, said the district follows the guideline of providing students with bus transportation if they live beyond two miles from campus. Alief does offer after-school transportation for extracurricular activities. 

If a student signs up for an available after-school program, Torres said parents would be given the option to add bus transportation for the evening as well. 

Contact the Department of Transportation at 281-983-8400 for more information.

Aldine ISD: Aldine has three transportation departments that offer more information: East Transportation (281-985-6628), West Transportation (281-878-7800) and North Transportation (281-985-7900). Parents and guardians can also submit feedback via this online form. 

Cy-Fair ISD: Cy-Fair made changes to its district transportation policy this school year to help close a budget deficit. The district provides transportation for an elementary student who lives a mile or more from their campus. Cy-Fair used to offer the same option to middle and high school students; they’re now only eligible for busing if they live two miles or more from campus. 

“With an initially projected $138 million budget deficit for 2024-2025, reducing transportation services was a difficult decision that was necessary to prevent further reductions in staff at the campus level,” Cy-Fair spokesperson Leslie Francis said. 

Visit this link to find out if your child is eligible for bus rides.

HISD: The district, which has the largest magnet school program in the region, offers bus rides to students if they attend one of those campuses. The district recommends families reach out to their school’s campus for eligibility information and to request transportation.

Pasadena ISD: Pasadena offers transportation to students who live more than two miles away from their regular attended campus. Call the Transportation Department at 713-740-0817 for more information.

Spring ISD: The district offers bus rides to students who reside at least one mile from their regularly attended campus.  Find more about Spring’s bus policies online here or call the Transportation Department at 281-891-6490.

Do other states also limit funding for buses to students who live close to schools?

Yes. Many states, including Florida, New York, New Jersey, also do not provide transportation funding for students who live a certain distance from school, with limited exceptions. The distances are generally 1.5 miles or 2 miles. 

Some states also offer partial reimbursement for the costs of transportation, according to Safe Routes Partnership, an organization advocating for safer walking and biking to school.

The post Answer Key: Many Houston-area students aren’t offered the chance to ride the bus. Why not? appeared first on Houston Landing.