Silver Falls board reviews supplemental transportation plan that could cut some in‑town stops, add $65,000 route

Silver Falls School District 4J board members and transportation staff reviewed a revised supplemental transportation plan during the board work session, discussing possible removal of several in‑town bus stops, new mapping of walking boundaries and the likely need to add an unreimbursed bus route that staff estimated would cost about $65,000.

The supplemental plan, referenced in board policy EEA, sets walking radii for students and marks safety exceptions where students within the radius will continue to receive bus service. Staff described the policy's walking radii as one mile for kindergarten through grade 8 students and 1.5 miles for grades 9–12, and said the new packet maps exceptions — shown in red — where safety concerns require bus service even inside the radius.

The board was shown maps and a spreadsheet that list specific stops and addresses. Laura (transportation staff) said the red-marked areas are "areas that will receive bus service, even though it's within the radius." She told the board the Mark Twain route in particular is near capacity and that one route averages about 65 students; the largest single stop she cited had about 14 students. "If we continue to provide service within the walking zone, we would need another bus," she said.

Why it matters

The discussion matters because adding a nonreimbursable bus route would increase district costs and because changes to stops would affect families who currently rely on close-in service. Staff and…