Board approves bus eligibility changes for Evergreen but delays middle/high school changes for more outreach

The Holmen School District Board voted to adopt revised transportation eligibility rules affecting Evergreen but amended and approved the motion to postpone changes to middle- and high-school transportation until the district completes additional family outreach and impact analysis.

The board president pulled item 10.6 from the consent agenda for separate discussion. A motion to approve the proposed transportation eligibility changes moved to discussion. After several board members raised concerns that ending busing for parts of the district could disproportionately affect families in Holmen’s most populated neighborhoods and risk increasing absenteeism, a board member moved to amend the motion.

The amended motion, which passed by voice vote, approved the Evergreen eligibility changes as presented and denied the proposed changes to middle- and high-school transportation for the coming school year pending additional community engagement and data collection. Board members said they supported the specific Evergreen adjustment but wanted more information about how middle- and high-school changes would affect families who rely on district transportation.

Board members noted they needed clearer counts of families who register for transportation versus those who actually ride buses regularly and said the district’s lack of public transit options made the proposed middle- and high-school changes particularly concerning. A board member asked staff to return with additional outreach results and recommended timelines before any additional eligibility changes are implemented.

The amended motion carried on a voice vote; the meeting record does not list individual roll-call votes.