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Fall River officials flag transportation-policy change that could alter eligibility for hundreds of students
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Curley told the school committee the state requires the district to stop using 'as the crow flies' measurements and switch to walking/driving distances, a change that could make nearly 400 additional K–5 students eligible for bus service unless the policy is amended; the district said it will avoid removing current riders.
The Fall River School Committee heard a detailed update March 10 on proposed changes to the district’s student-transportation policy after state guidance questioned the district’s method of measuring eligibility.
Superintendent Dr. Curley said the district currently determines eligibility using straight-line ("as the crow flies") distances: kindergarten through grade 5 students qualify for transportation if they live one mile or more from their assigned school, and grades 6–8 qualify at 1.5 miles. The superintendent said the state has informed the district it must adopt the state’s method — measuring walking or driving distance — rather than straight-line distance.
Dr. Curley said the change matters because, if the existing 1‑mile/1.5‑mile figures remain but are measured differently, the district could be required to transport far more students. She told the committee that, under current policy language and measuring practice, the district would see “nearly 400 more students eligible for transportation” in grades K–5 alone. She also said the district currently has 135 K–5 students who receive transportation now who would not meet the revised eligibility if the policy text is changed retroactively; the superintendent emphasized the district does not intend to remove transportation from currently eligible students.
Committee members pressed for clarity about grandfathering current riders and timelines. Several members asked that transportation appear as a formal agenda item at a future meeting so the committee could review proposed policy language and vote. Committee members also said they want to avoid disparate outcomes in adjacent households where one child would retain service because of a prior eligibility and a neighbor would not under new rules.
The superintendent said staff will bring the issue to the policy subcommittee and the facilities/operations subcommittee so the district can propose amendments that avoid creating unintended losses of service while complying with state measurement rules. No vote was taken March 10.
Ending: The committee directed administration to present proposed policy changes and implementation steps to subcommittees and to return to the full committee for action after stakeholder review.
