There’s just one big drawback for Tyson in this city, where more than half of students attend charters  — transportation.

Tyson usually drops her son, who is 9, off with an aunt early each morning. The aunt then brings him and other kids to Paramount. “It’s a major issue,” said Tyson. “Parents like me have to reach out to other parents to get help.”

Like most other states, Indiana doesn’t require or pay for buses to bring charter students to classes, which advocates are pushing for as Indiana continues its aggressive support of charter and private schools. 

Republican legislators, who want an overhaul of school transportation, are considering two bills that would help charter and private schools with transportation.

One bill would combine busing for district, charter and private school students into a single system in Indianapolis and four other cities. The other bill gives charters more money, which could then be used for busing.

The lack of busing is such a hot-button issue that one Indiana charter network advertises on billboards that they offer students transportation. And one Indianapolis charter school director called the lack of busing “an equity issue.”

Some charter schools in Indianapolis — the city most affected by the bills — dig into their budgets to pay as much as $1 million a year for buses. Most, like Paramount, don’t want to sacrifice academics for transportation. That leaves parents like Tyson to fend for themselves, often making logistically complicated arrangements, such as carpooling with other families or relatives. It also means long lines of cars jamming streets around schools as parents line up to drop students off and pick them up.

Tyson and her aunt have developed “a system” to get their kids to school. “Some days I’m off work and I do the pickup, but it gets hard,” she said.

Transportation has long been a pressure point in Indiana and nationally for charter and voucher schools, with backers arguing students have to be able to get to a school for it to be a real choice. 

School districts often balk at paying to take students to schools they view as competition. Practically, district and charter school schedules don’t always align, creating conflicts around drop off and pickup times.

The education pro-charter advocacy group ExcelInEd rates Indiana as one of 20 states with “limited” transportation for charter and private school students. Neighboring states such as Illinois and Ohio, are rated as “fair” to charter students by offering similar busing as district students.

The busing bill has been put on hold, however, while the state is embroiled in a battle over the broader issue of how it pays for charter schools. Senate Bill 518, would shift some local property taxes from school districts to charters. It passed the Senate last month after heated debate.

The Indianapolis school board has pushed back, calling for a moratorium on adding new charter schools and maintaining local control. Board members and residents object to state plans to take money from the district and give it to charters, saying it would force them to close 20 schools.

Backers say sharing taxes is needed to close a funding gap between districts and charter schools — a gap of $8,000 in Indianapolis with the district spending $18,500 and charters $10,600. Critics say districts will have to close schools and cut programs if they lose money.

If passed, the tax-sharing bill could give charters enough money to afford buses for students. That’s one reason parents like Ada Remus, whose son attends Edison School of the Arts, an unusual independent school in Indianapolis, supports the tax-sharing, even as the Indianapolis Public Schools district opposes it.

“Even when great schools exist, they often lack transportation, leaving families like mine on the far east side without access,” Remus told the Indianapolis Public Schools board last week. “If funding were more equitable, more families, including mine, would have access to better schools without worrying about how to get there.” 

Other Indianapolis parents and teachers blasted state officials for threatening to take money away from the district and raised concerns over what might be cut.

“Everyone in this room, commissioners or not, must realize that for the foreseeable future, the state will be run by rural and suburban Republicans with neither interest in nor affection for the city of Indianapolis,” city resident Guthrie Beyer told the board.

Alecia Ostler, executive director of the Invent Learning Hub charter school, said she decided to pay for buses when the school launched six years ago to make sure transportation didn’t prevent families from enrolling. She now pays nearly $200,000 a year for three buses that transport 60 percent of her students. 

“This is inner-city, so quite honestly, there are just some situations where families are like, ‘I don’t feel comfortable with my child having to walk there,’” Ostler said. “But then we have some families that don’t have transportation, so they really lean on that bus. They’re not going to be able to get them here without that.”

“Transportation is an equity issue,” she added. “There needs to be consideration given to the needs of families.”

A small group of charter or independent schools avoid those expenses by partnering with the Indianapolis Public Schools as part of its unique Innovation Schools network — in which the district shares a mix of busing, school buildings and technology support with 30 schools that would typically be shunned as competitors.

District officials estimate they spend about $12 million a year to provide transportation for 17 of the 30 Innovation Schools. Those include KIPP Indy charter schools that boast of having “Transportation Available” on billboards promoting them.

“It’s core and essential to our model,” said Andy Seibert, KIPP Indy’s executive director.

Advocates are still holding out hope for a common transportation system that would drastically change school busing in the city. State Rep. Bob Behning, chairman of the House education committee, has proposed creating a central authority to oversee transportation for students of district, charter and private schools. 

Indianapolis Public Schools officials object to how Behning’s proposal would put busing under a new panel mostly appointed by state officials. District officials oppose the state’s Republican supermajority picking a panel overseeing the city’s largely minority and Democratic residents.

“The question really needs to be debated by the community instead of as a piece of legislation that comes down the pipeline,” said IPS Deputy Superintendent Andrew Strope. “It kind of takes away the power of the people through an elected board.”

Last spring, the St. Louis Public Schools parent had to drive his four children to different schools after the district’s bus contractor . It wasn’t uncommon for some of his kids to miss the first class of the day because of the trek across town. This summer, Dorsey was hoping the new school year would bring improved transportation. Instead, he is once again in the driver’s seat — which he fears will hinder his children’s education.

“I have to make sure everybody gets to school on time. I don’t want them to miss any more time in class,” Dorsey said. “So it’s just going to be a real hectic time in the morning — just trying to move through traffic and hustle and bustle.”

Dorsey is one of thousands of St. Louis parents — — who have had to scramble to make alternative plans for their kids because of bus driver shortages. 

of 400 school districts by HopSkipDrive, a national student transportation company, found that 91% reported being impacted by a bus driver shortage in 2024. The numbers were 92% in 2023 and 88% in 2022.

About 60% said shortages had forced them to cut back on bus services. More than a third (38%) of the districts said staffers are taking time away from their jobs to drive school buses or vans.

“My fear is that at some point we are going to cross the point of no return,” said Keith Galloway, a senior vice president with Student Transportation of America, in an .

“We have to somehow figure out how we will continue to partner with school districts, keep our costs under control and also be in a position where we can recruit and retain school bus drivers, mechanics, dispatchers and managers to operate the business,” he said. 

In St. Louis, after the bus company pulled out last spring, district officials cobbled together an emergency transportation plan involving yellow buses, taxis and private rideshare cars from nearly 20 vendors.

On Aug. 19, the first day of school,  roughly 6,400 students were supposed to be transported by yellow buses, 6,200 by cabs or rideshare cars and 1,450 by public transit. But the day before, three bus vendors , leaving more than 1,000 students in limbo.

In lieu of bus transportation, some parents received temporary gas cards, according to the district. Dorsey was one of them — his 10th grader at Nottingham CAJT High School was assigned to a bus, while his eighth grader at Compton-Drew ILC Middle School received a $25 gas card. His other two children attend charter schools.

“The card probably won’t last two days of picking up and dropping off,” Dorsey said.

He said he adjusted his work schedule so he can bring his children to school, but picking them up will be a problem. His shift starts at 3 p.m., so he either will have to get to work late or take his kids out of class early.

“I know it’s going to be a lot with the upcoming school year, especially with these kids trying to figure out how to ride public transportation or even jumping in a cab with a stranger,” Dorsey said. “It’s going to be hard for the parents to instill that confidence in their children. It’s going to be hard for the parents to even try to make sure that their children are at the bus stops and get to work. It’s a lot for us right now.”

The HopSkipDrive study also surveyed 500 parents and found 79% said they are managing school transportation on their own and 62% said driving their children has caused them to miss work. About 63% said their kids would miss less school if more convenient transportation were available.

HopSkipDrive is one of the rideshare vendors that recently partnered with St. Louis Public Schools to cover transportation. Earlier this year, Patricia Ludwig left her job as a bus driver in the St. Louis area to become a driver with HopSkipDrive because of her arthritis. 

Ludwig said the job is easier because she uses her own car. She uses company software to pick up as many routes as she wants and transports only a few children at a time. Ludwig said she drives kids of all ages.

“You can offer certain things you can’t offer with the school bus, because it’s a much more personalized and intimate experience,” Ludwig said. “You’re not on a bus with 30 to 70 other kids, right? You’re just with three or four children. It’s much more like carpooling.”

Drivers with HopSkipDrive go through a rigorous background and certification process, and their cars have to be inspected, according to the company. Drivers communicate directly with parents, pick up children at their door and can wait for students if they are running late.

Square Watson, chief operations officer for St. Louis Public Schools, said at an Aug. 13 school board meeting that the district is ensuring safety for students using rideshare companies and public transit by patrolling routes, monitoring driver progress using GPS and stationing volunteers at stops. All vehicles transporting children require windshield decals, and drivers have to wear identification badges.

Officials haven’t said how long the district will use rideshare companies or taxis. Watson said the district hopes to bring on more traditional school buses as the year continues.

“Everyone is in this together as we arm up and get ourselves ready for the start of school. Will it look ugly? Yes,” Watson said. “I mean, we’ve got lemons and we’re making lemonade.”

The Alabama State Board of Education may ask the Alabama Legislature for money to add air conditioning to state school buses, most of which lack it.

At the September 14 Board meeting, members of the state Board considered asking for a one-time supplemental bill to add buses to districts most in need.

“One of the things we might encourage on top of the budget is to say, ‘You know what, we’d like to have another one-time flow of money into fleet renewal with a focus on getting rid of buses that don’t have air conditioning,’” said Eric Mackey, state superintendent.

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Only 48% of buses in the state have air conditioning, according to Alabama State Department of Education data. Chad Carpenter, transportation specialist for the ALSDE, said in a phone interview that buses can get 20 degrees hotter than the air outside.

Carpenter compared school buses to passenger cars and said that, when he was a kid, his parents had options between buying cars with or without air conditioning. Many people bought cars without air conditioning because it was cheaper. Then, as technology advanced, air conditioning became cheaper and then standard.

“I wouldn’t be real surprised if air conditioning on school buses doesn’t become pretty standard in the next few years,” he said.

Last summer was the hottest season since 1880, Josh Willis, climate scientist and oceanographer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, attributed the heat to long term warming and marine heat waves in combination with the weather pattern known as

Alabama’s hottest summer, until 2023, had been in 1883,

Mackey said at the board meeting that all special education buses in the state are legally required to have air conditioning and that has been the law for some time.

“It’s not a new requirement,” he said. “I won’t say for sure there’s not one somewhere, but I’d be really surprised if there’s a special ed bus in the state that is not air conditioned.”

According to data provided by the Alabama State Department of Education, only a few school districts or charter schools had zero buses on route with air conditioning in the 2022-23 school year.

Daleville City, with 14 routes, has no buses on route with air conditioning. Elba City has four bus routes and no buses with air conditioning. Fairfield City has seven bus routes and no buses with air conditioning. Jacksonville City has 16 bus routes and no buses with air conditioning. Orange Beach City has three bus routes and no air conditioning on buses. Troy City has two bus routes and no buses with air conditioning. Tuscumbia City has zero buses with air conditioning and one bus route. Life Academy has three bus routes and no air conditioning.

city school systems can purchase school buses, but county school systems must provide transportation. City school systems and charter schools are only required to offer transportation for students served by special education,

Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education committee, said that he has not heard any talk of supplemental funding for buses yet.

“At the legislative level, because we’re one of the last along the line of the appropriations process, it’s a little early to know whether that’s going to be a high priority request from the education community,” he said.

Mackey told board members they were able to get a one-time supplemental appropriation last year of around $130 million to buy new buses. Two districts, Wilcox County and Shelby County, were given the most funds to buy air conditioned buses, based on need. ALSDE data shows that Shelby has 18.73% of their buses air conditioned currently, or 59 on 319 bus routes. Wilcox has 62.16% of their buses air conditioned, or 23 on 37 bus routes.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com. Follow Alabama Reflector on and .

“It’s not fair, I have gym Tuesday at the end of the day, and I can’t play gym,” Tiheem said.

The DOE had arranged for the car service after Tiheem’s school bus stopped showing up in early November. As a special education student, he is entitled to “service by a yellow school bus” under his Individualized Education Program — a written plan that states what services and accommodations the school district is legally required to provide.

When the bus first stopped coming, Tiheem missed a week-and-a-half of school because he had no transportation from his Brooklyn home to the District 75 school he attended in Queens. District 75 schools educate some 25,000 NYC public school students with moderate to profound disabilities and are scattered across the city, meaning many special education students have long commutes. Their IEPs are supposed to ensure they have busing.

But IEPs are often not enough to deliver on that essential service in the nation’s largest school district, which has . In an effort to finally force change, Parents to Improve School Transportation announced their campaign to create a at a press conference Feb. 4, . The event, which had to go remote because of bad weather, was attended by roughly 70 people via Zoom, according to group founder Sara Catalinotto.

“Access to education is a civil and human right, for children of all abilities, all housing [status],” Catalinotto said. “Transit equity, including safe, on-time, fully staffed school bus routes is crucial to their access. 
 Rosa Parks taught us not to give in just because the system has been so abusive for so long.”

The parent organization is in the initial stages of getting a referendum onto the November ballot in New York City to approve the school bus bill of rights, a process that will require collecting thousands of voter signatures on a petition.

Brooklyn state Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon and Nick Smith, the city’s first deputy public advocate, both spoke at the press conference and said they would support the referendum campaign. Parents to Improve School Transportation plans to march across the Brooklyn Bridge March 19 to raise further awareness of their effort.

Catalinotto said her goals include increasing measures to prevent route problems, like limiting the number of schools and stops on each route. She also hopes to see steps taken to retain a dedicated workforce. She wants increased workforce training and Covid protections. She is pushing for accessible communication with the DOE’s Office of Pupil Transportation in all languages. Additionally, Catalinotto hopes to create a panel to oversee policy decisions regarding school transportation. 

In an email statement shortly after the press conference, DOE Press Secretary Jenna Lyle did not respond to questions about the bill of rights’ demands, but said insufficient busing is not acceptable. 

“Every day we provide approximately 150,000 students with quality transportation to and from school, and we are constantly working to improve service,” Lyle wrote. “We work closely with families, bus companies and schools to ensure a safe and efficient experience for all students and staff – anything less is unacceptable.”

Since the beginning of the school year, parents across New York City have been drawing attention to late, absent or understaffed buses, chronic barriers to their children’s education which grew worse under the pandemic and the . While some parents who spoke to ĂÛÌÒÓ°ÊÓ said the issues they faced in the fall were resolved by December, they said they are still coping with the academic, economic and mental health repercussions. 

“I had to personally put my life on hold,” said Lynette Epps, who had to accompany her son Tiheem in the car service to and from school until he was assigned to a new school in January. “I had to turn down two jobs because of this.”

Others are still missing school due to problematic bus routes. The situation overwhelmingly impacts special education students, who have already suffered significant learning loss during COVID. 

Rima Izquierdo — a parent leader and the Bronx representative for the District 75 Leadership Team — said she advocates on behalf of families at her child’s campus. She said one currently has a bus that regularly picks up their child at 9 a.m., 40 minutes after school starts. Izquierdo said her 15-year-old son, whose IEP requires a paraprofessional accompany him on the bus, has also missed a lot of class time.

“I’m sure everyone hears my child in the background,” Izquierdo said during the virtual press conference. “Because of the para shortage, my bus para cannot take a day off or have an emergency without my son not losing the day of school because there is nobody to replace her.”

Izquierdo said the Office of Pupil Transportation said her child would be assigned a new bus route Feb. 14.

In a press release issued after the Feb. 4 event, the DOE said they resolve route issues quickly. 

“A vast majority of bus routes run smoothly throughout the city each day. Any one-off issues are escalated and efficiently addressed,” the department said in a statement.

Many NYC school families would disagree. Zariah Jimenez — a 19-year-old high school student at a Queens District 75 school — missed 25 days of school earlier this year because of late buses that violated her IEP’s limited travel time, according to her mother, Cheryl Ocampo. The issue took months to resolve.

Ocampo says Jimenez has trouble waiting for long periods of time and that waiting for the bus triggered her anxiety to the degree it became “a safety concern.” Ocampo had to leave work early to pick up her daughter herself. On days that she couldn’t afford to miss that time away from her job, Ocampo had to keep Jimenez at home.

“This school year’s school bus complications have profoundly impacted my daughter’s overall mental and physical health as well as her education and my employment,” Ocampo said, explaining that Jimenez developed anxiety about the bus, which led to sleeping issues. Ocampo said her daughter’s bus route was resolved in mid-December, but “my daughter is still trying to get back to some kind of normalcy.”

From the start of the school year until Dec. 3, Kelly Muñoz didn’t have a bus that met the limited-travel requirement in her sixth-grader’s IEP. Every morning, Muñoz had to do a two-hour round trip to get her child to and from their District 75 school in the South Bronx to their home in the Northwest Bronx. She said she counted driving 759 extra miles during that time.

“Mentally, I was drained and tired. There were days I was so stressed out from navigating traffic, missing meetings, playing catch up and parenting that I would want to just cry. I was having tons of headaches and even had an eye twitch in my left eye,” Muñoz said. “Taking on the responsibility of the DOE’s [Office of Pupil Transportation] was something no parent should have to do.”