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Board questions rising transportation costs as enrollment drops; staff cites bus replacement and longer routes
Summary
Board members pressed staff to explain why transportation costs rise in 2027–29 even as enrollment declines; district staff said the increase reflects replacing older buses, potential leases, and longer routes after school consolidations and promised to revisit routing and cost estimates.
At a Broward County School Board workshop, members asked why projected transportation costs increase in the coming years even as student enrollment declines.
Board member Miss Hixson highlighted the discrepancy in the facilities plan spreadsheets, noting transportation costs rise notably in 2027–28 and again in 2028–29. "So 2728, the transportation is going up, then it goes up again in 2829, but our enrollment is going down," she said, adding the increases appeared to be roughly $500,000 each year.
Valerie Waza, the district's chief strategy and innovation officer, said the projected increases largely reflect fleet needs: aging buses that must be replaced, potential leasing of buses as a stopgap, and longer routes created by consolidations that require transporting students greater distances. "Even though our enrollment is going down ... we now have to transport more students potentially and to greater distances," Waza said, and staff committed to revisit routing and leasing plans to ensure fiscal responsibility.
Staff will return with a more detailed routing and cost-efficiency analysis. Board members suggested exploring routing alternatives and the use of technology to optimize fleet deployment.
The board did not take a formal vote on transportation funding at the workshop.
