Targeted Auburn bus route linked to drop in chronic absenteeism; board weighs expansion

Transportation staff told the board that a targeted school bus route serving a concentrated Auburn neighborhood corresponded with measurable attendance improvements and potential revenue gains.

The transportation presenter said a heat-map analysis showed 62 households in the target area with at least one chronically absent student in April 2025 and 44 households in April 2026 — a 29% reduction for the targeted area. "This bus route is making a difference," the presenter said while summarizing the heat-map comparison.

Staff estimated the single-route annual cost at about $100,000 (two stops, roughly five hours combined morning/afternoon) and reported a districtwide increase in average daily attendance of 1.56% in 2025–26 that corresponds to approximately $200,000 in additional revenue (roughly two full-time teacher equivalents). The presentation noted that the bus route is likely a significant contributor to the attendance gains at Auburn Elementary, but staff and trustees agreed the improvement is not solely attributable to the route.

Board members discussed operational issues, equity and scaling: hub-stop design, whether public transit passes or a paid bus route would be more effective in dispersed areas (EV Cain and Sky Ridge have more geographically spread needs), and whether families would use a paid route. Trustees asked staff to collect additional historical data on bus usage, run parent surveys at open houses, and drill down on chronically absent households’ locations before recommending additional routes. Transportation staff also flagged reimbursement and fiscal monitoring considerations for added routes.

No formal vote was taken; trustees directed staff to gather further data (historical ridership, parent interest surveys, and granular heat-map household locations) and return with options for inclusion in the June budget discussions.