Waunakee board votes to end elementary shuttle transfers for summer school, limit pickup points

The Waunakee Community School District board voted to discontinue shuttle transfers between elementary schools for summer school and to require one consistent morning pickup and one consistent afternoon drop‑off point for each student.

Administrators pitched the change as a phased approach the district can trial during summer school before broader fall implementation. Sheila, a transportation administrator, described the risk and stress for very young students making shuttle transfers among multiple buses and pickup points and said safety was the primary driver for the proposal. "Safety is the biggest piece," Sheila said, adding that “we never want a child on the wrong bus.”

Under the approved concept, parents retain the choice of destination — for example, a child may still be routed directly to a preferred childcare provider — but students will be transported directly from their elementary school to that destination instead of transferring between schools. The policy committee will continue work on routing and related policy language; the board scheduled further discussion and monitoring at a workshop on Feb. 19.

Board members and principals said the changes aim to reduce spreadsheet complexity for building staff, improve predictability for parents and free staff time otherwise spent coordinating multiple transfers. The motion to enact the summer school changes passed by voice vote.