Milton officials say bus route changes reduced wait list; district weighing longer-term options

Warrant Committee members raised transportation as a near-term priority during a Nov. 3 joint meeting and asked whether students were able to board buses after some families were placed on wait lists. Interim Superintendent John Fallon and Assistant Superintendent Katie Blake said the district had made recent route adjustments that moved roughly 50 students from wait lists onto buses and planned a second assessment to add about 25 more families.

District staff said they are evaluating options for the next school year to address remaining demand: redesign routes (prioritizing riders who live farthest from schools), add an additional bus if ridership and budget allow, or consider fee adjustments to offset incremental costs. Blake noted the per-bus operating cost is material (discussion referenced a district estimate near $100,000 per year) and said a fee alone would not cover a full bus operating cost without raising fees to levels that would be impractical for families.

Committee members and district staff discussed tradeoffs: adding a bus increases recurring operating costs; redesigning routes can improve equity but may lengthen some rides; raising fees produces revenue but cannot fully substitute for operating-cost support. Fallon said the district would analyze ridership and routes and present options in the budget process so the committee can weigh financial and programmatic trade-offs.

On facilities, district staff reported completion of a Cunningham School renovation that produced new classrooms converted from library space; the project came in under budget and reduced some crowding, although officials said some capacity pressure remains.