KUSD defends three‑tier bus system; delaying high‑school start time would add major costs

Alyssa Lynch, the district’s new transportation supervisor, told the Planning & Facilities Committee that Kenosha’s transportation system will remain structured around a three‑tier run for 2026–27 and that altering high‑school start times would carry substantial fleet and driver costs.

"We run a three‑tier system where we start with our high schools first and then that same bus will then be used and do our elementary and middle school," Lynch said, explaining how using the same bus for multiple runs reduces the need for additional vehicles and drivers.

Lynch said the district runs about 25 morning routes and 29 afternoon routes, has 15 dedicated buses for middle and high school routes, and issued more than 2,800 municipal transit passes last year for students who qualify (students living two or more miles from their boundary school or those identified under McKinney‑Vento rules). She said roughly 6,500 general‑education students and about 750–800 special‑education students require district transport; the special‑education figure reflects those who need lift buses or other accommodations specified in IEPs.

On cost, Lynch said a dedicated bus run to break the three‑tier model would typically require about $250,000 annually per bus (estimated driver and operating costs) and that some proposals to swap start times would require putting three to four buses on separate routes to service a single school’s request. The district contracts some private‑school transportation and issued 349 parent contracts this year at a cost of about $310,000; contracted yellow busing cost about $374,000, yielding roughly $684,000 total for private‑school transport.

Board members raised equity concerns about students who live just inside the two‑mile eligibility threshold and cannot afford monthly transit passes (student monthly pass $45; one‑way $1.50). Lynch said the district can issue case‑by‑case passes and principals sometimes provide targeted passes for chronic absenteeism cases, but broader fare relief would require city partnership because bus fares are municipal policy. Members suggested exploring shuttle options, especially for specialty or choice schools where walking routes pose safety concerns.

Staff said start times for 2026–27 are already published in the approved instructional calendar and that any change would need to be coordinated with statutory instructional‑minute requirements and Head Start constraints.

The committee concluded with requests for staff to evaluate shuttle and targeted‑pass options in frequent absenteeism cases and to report back on feasibility.