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Board reviews draft transportation SOP limiting buses for new nonresident students; families seek exceptions
Summary
Board reviewed a draft standard operating procedure that would restrict bus transportation for students who live outside district boundaries unless an existing route passes directly by their home. Parents asked for quicker decisions and for the district to consider exceptions; board cited driver shortages as a major constraint.
MSD Wabash County Schools officials presented a draft transportation standard operating procedure that would limit bus service for students who live outside district boundaries and who enroll after May 2025.
The draft states that bus transportation for new students who enroll after May 2025 “will only be provided if an existing bus route passes directly by the student's home,” the superintendent said. Current nonresident students who already receive transportation would be grandfathered, the draft says. Exceptions to the SOP would require approval by the superintendent or a designee.
District staff told the board the policy is driven in part by a shortage of bus drivers. The superintendent and other staff raised logistics: the district’s geographic size (about 300 square miles), variable summer enrollment, and staffing gaps make extending routes or adding door-to-door service difficult. Staff also noted legal limits on using activity buses to provide door-to-door pickups.
Several parents who spoke during public comment asked the board to provide a final decision before the end of the school year so students could have stability. One parent said her son has already changed preschools and kindergartens multiple times and that an August decision would be disruptive to friendships and routines; another described a specific routing where an out-of-district bus already passes near their home and said they expect similar service should continue.
Board members said the SOP leaves room for exceptions and that district staff will provide a form for families to request reviews of individual addresses. The board did not approve the SOP at the meeting; staff said they will return with further information and a possible final recommendation at a future meeting.
