Board advances plan to group bus stops, consultant says change could save over $1.5 million
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Summary
The West Clermont Local School Board heard a transportation assessment recommending neighborhood/grouped bus stops, elimination of many cul-de-sac stops, and other route changes; presenters estimated potential savings of more than $1.5 million and said parents will be able to opt into transportation via reregistration starting April 21.
At the April 6, 2026 West Clermont Local School Board meeting, a district presenter described a transportation assessment and a proposed move to neighborhood or grouped bus stops intended to improve route efficiency and lower costs.
Presenter (S4) said the district contracted consultant Doug Palmer (Bus Logic) and is working with vendor Peterman to identify consolidated stops. "One of the recommendations that came through was to look at our bus stops and to look at our neighborhood group stops," the presenter said, explaining the change would concentrate students at fewer stops and reduce trips into cul-de-sacs. The presenter emphasized the change would not eliminate transportation for special education students.
On potential dollar impact, the presenter said grouping stops and other efficiencies "could be a savings of over $1,500,000." The discussion cited reducing the number of stops toward a target of about 58–59 neighborhood stops from many smaller, household-level stops and noted that reducing route time and achieving ridership thresholds could increase state reimbursement.
The presenter clarified policy and practical limits: the district's policy includes a two-mile radius standard but, in practice, the district transports all students and the proposed change is focused on stop location, not student exclusion. For private and parochial transportation, the presenter noted a 30-minute threshold that can affect eligibility: routes longer than 30 minutes may not be required for out-of-district transports.
Timeline and outreach: the presenter said Peterman will identify provisional stops and that the board will vote on finalized bus stops and routes in July. The district plans a communication and opt-in process tied to reregistration beginning April 21 to collect parent choices and ridership numbers.
The board did not take an immediate vote on stop designations at the April 6 meeting; presenters said the item was an early step in a transition that will include additional review and a July vote on routes and stop locations.
Next steps include posting resources on the transportation page, providing a forum for parent feedback, and finalizing routes and stops for a July vote.
