Board asks staff for analysis of walk‑distance change, route efficiency and safety before altering secondary transportation policy

Kyle, the district transportation lead, presented proposed revisions to the district’s transportation standards for secondary students: a change from the current 1.5‑mile standard to a 2.0‑mile standard for secondary home‑to‑school eligibility. Staff framed the proposal in terms of route efficiency, driver workload and overcrowding on buses.

Board members raised safety and equity concerns. Several trustees voiced that two miles is a long walk for middle‑ and high‑schoolers, particularly for younger secondary students and in neighborhoods with steep hills or limited sidewalks. Board member Rick described walking local routes and said a 1.5‑mile standard “is pushing it” for some middle‑school students, and urged caution before changing walking distances.

Kyle said initial route modeling shows that consolidating stops could substantially reduce the number of stops on some runs (one example lowered stops from 15 to 4) and improve on‑time performance for other routes, which may reduce driver overtime and free drivers for elementary routes, but he acknowledged the board’s safety concerns.

Board members requested specific supporting analyses before any policy change is adopted: (1) a cost/efficiency analysis comparing current routing and proposed routing under both 1.5‑ and 2.0‑mile standards, (2) a safety review that accounts for sidewalk availability, topography, crossing points and winter/snow route impacts, (3) clarification of whether walking distances are measured as the crow flies or along walking routes, and (4) the likely effect on OSPI reimbursement and route revenue. Staff agreed to return with those analyses and to include recommendations on whether efficiency gains can be achieved without increasing walk distances, for example by consolidating stops within the current 1.5‑mile standard.