School districts have made some progress in addressing the national shortage of school bus drivers, but there still aren鈥檛 as many drivers as there were in 2019, according to a new study.

The number of drivers has increased by 2,300, or 1.1%, since last year, , a left-leaning research group. But there are still 21,200 fewer bus drivers than there were听in 2019, a decline of 9.5%.

The researchers link the employment gain to higher wages: Average hourly wages are up 4.2% in the past year, the largest jump since the COVID-19 pandemic.

During and after the pandemic, many bus drivers , left the workforce or in some cases, died. Districts across the country have had to scramble to find someone to take the wheel 鈥� be it substitute teachers, administrators or even parents.

The number of bus drivers decreased by 15% between September 2019 and September 2023, to the Economic Policy Institute. Private school bus contractors now account for 38% of the nation鈥檚 pupil transportation services, according to the National School Transportation Association.

Other school transportation options, , have helped fill the gap in some places. But of all U.S. K鈥�12 students rely on a school bus to get to school.

The report warns that school district budgets are tightening as federal pandemic relief funds , and notes that the Trump administration has delayed some federal K-12 funding in its bid to shrink and the U.S. Department of Education.

The report points to , , and as states that are dealing with especially severe bus driver shortages. It also notes that a dearth of drivers has a particularly pronounced effect on students with disabilities, and that not having enough drivers can lead to inconsistent bus schedules and routes, which contributes to absenteeism and missed school meals.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.

At 6:50 a.m, the parent on carpool duty would set out westward toward the San Fernando Valley, often cutting the workday short to reverse the commute eight hours later. One dad even rented space at a coworking location to minimize the drive.

The destination: Portola Middle School in Tarzana, one of the Los Angeles Unified School District鈥檚 few magnet schools with a program specifically for highly gifted students. 

鈥淲e were going with traffic both ways,鈥� said Tira Franco, a mom of three who feels lucky that her now-seventh grader landed a spot in the school. But while the boys in her eight-seat minivan spent the trips quizzing each other in math, she quickly grew exhausted. 鈥淚n L.A., just five miles could take you like an hour.鈥�

Enduring gridlock on 鈥渢he 405鈥� and other major thoroughfares is part of life in the nation鈥檚 second-largest city, and it鈥檚 a price that many families are willing to pay to get their children in a preferred school. This year, the kids ride a bus as part of the district鈥檚 efforts to services. Students who attend magnets and other schools of choice in the sprawling, 700-square-mile district are among those who get priority for a ride. That means the boys get up even earlier to meet the bus. 

District leaders in recent years have tried to take some of the pain out of the process by offering choice fairs, a centralized application website and more busing options. But many still find the experience stressful, time-intensive and stacked against low-income families.

鈥淭he kids who get a better quality education in the district are the children of parents who are resourceful, who are able to navigate this very complicated formula,鈥� said Elmer Roldan, executive director of Communities in Schools Los Angeles, a dropout prevention program that serves students in 15 schools across the metro area. Children whose parents can manage that system are going to get 鈥渢he best teachers, best equipment and best experience. Unfortunately, that is not always close.鈥�

Over a third of LAUSD students participate in district choice, officials said. During this year鈥檚 , which closes Nov. 14, parents can pick from a wide range of options that include not just magnets, but dual-language programs and district charter schools. Families can also request permits to attend a school outside their zone. But that process is time-consuming, and lower-income families often lack the luxury of weeks to research school performance and plot potential routes.

found that Latino students, English learners and kids from low-income families were underrepresented in magnet programs, which were designed to create more integrated schools. White and Asian students were also overrepresented in affiliated charters 鈥� some of the highest-achieving schools in the district.听

鈥淭here are parent groups in West L.A. that organize information sessions [on choice], but West L.A. is a relatively advantaged area,鈥� said Christopher Campos, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Chicago who has in LAUSD. The single application portal, where parents can request transportation, has made the process 鈥渁 bit easier. 鈥 still think it’s a pretty daunting task.鈥� 

鈥榁alley parents鈥�

For some parents, the process began on a clear Thursday evening in October as they searched for a parking space near a middle school in the San Fernando Valley. Inside the gates, families strolled from booth to booth on the lawn to learn about the district鈥檚 array of magnet schools. 

There鈥檚 Northridge Middle with a special lab for exploring careers in medicine, Robert Frost Middle with a gifted music conservatory and Mulholland Middle, where students in the junior police academy can study crime scene investigation, or law and government. Inside the auditorium, the Louis Armstrong Middle jazz band performed their version of the Edgar Winter Group鈥檚 鈥淔rankenstein,鈥� an instrumental rock hit from the early 1970s.

鈥淰alley parents want to stay in the valley,鈥� LAUSD Board President Scott Schmerelson said as he greeted principals and magnet school coordinators, who were busy handing out fliers, buttons and other promotional items. He paused at the display table for Nobel Charter Middle in Northridge, which features a magnet program combining STEM with the arts. 

鈥淗ere鈥檚 Nobel. Always overenrolled. Very popular.鈥�

One parent grabbed his attention to suggest organizers set up booths by regions in the valley 鈥� east, west and north. 鈥淭he valley is huge,鈥� she said.

She makes a good point, Schmerelson said.

shows that providing transportation increases the likelihood that families will take advantage of school choice, a district spokeswoman said. Officials use social media, websites and other communication channels to inform families that bus service is available. The district is 鈥渃lustering stops where demand is highest,鈥� the spokeswoman said, but leaders also 鈥渃ontinually review ridership data and feedback to explore ways we can improve access.鈥澨�

Choice options have increased in recent years as the district seeks to leaving for independent charters or private schools. There are over 330 magnet programs, compared to 217 a decade ago. Enrollment decline, which is hurting the district in many ways, has had the effect of opening up more space in many sought-after schools. Students who end up on a waiting list for their first choice are now coming off the list sooner, said Song Lee, LAUSD鈥檚 coordinator of student integration services.

But word of events like the fair don鈥檛 always reach the parents they were designed for.

鈥淚f I would have known about the fair, that would have been helpful,鈥� said Dulce Valencia, a mom of three whose twin daughters are currently part of the Spanish-English dual-language program at San Fernando Elementary School. She has to decide on a middle school for her girls and is considering charters.

Multiple options can confuse parents, Campos found when he held some information sessions regarding another district program called 鈥渮ones of choice.鈥� Instead of attending their neighborhood middle or high school, students living within one of 17 zones can choose from a menu of specialized schools with themes like global studies, performing arts or social justice.

鈥淎 lot of families thought they were showing up to a session about magnet programs,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey actually were not interested in any of the zones of choice schools, but they were just getting overwhelmed with information.鈥� 

鈥楬ave your phone ready鈥�

Once parents secure their child a seat, they still have to figure out how to get there.

鈥淚 tell parents, 鈥楬ave your phone ready so you can map out where the school is and you can see if it’s feasible for you,鈥� 鈥� said Grace Lee, who has two young boys in the district. She also works in the office at Gault Street Elementary, her neighborhood school, and fields questions from parents about choice. 

For Lee, calculating the best routes to school in L.A. calls to mind , the uproarious 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� sketch where characters in exaggerated 鈥淰alley girl鈥� accents rattle off shortcuts to circumvent the ubiquitous L.A. traffic.

鈥淚f you live in L.A. you get it,鈥� Lee said. 

When her oldest son got into Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle, north of her Lake Balboa neighborhood, she applied for transportation. But the bus stop was almost as far west as the school was north. She decided it was just easier for her husband to drive him on his way to the office.

Working at a Title I school in the majority Latino district, Lee worries that many families don鈥檛 even complete the choice application. 

鈥淭he people who are in the know, their kids are already fine,鈥� she said. 鈥淭heir test scores are generally fine.鈥�

Twenty years ago, Lois Andr茅-Bechely, a professor emerita at California State University, Los Angeles, wrote in that parents with flexible schedules stood a better chance of taking advantage of public school choice in L.A. She identified transportation as one of the obstacles. 

鈥淧arents who have cars and can arrange time to drive their children to and from school will have more choice options than parents who do not have such advantages,鈥� she wrote. 

The city鈥檚 offers free bus and train passes, but some students on public buses and L.A.鈥檚 routes don鈥檛 always reach the areas they live in. A recent showed that it can take four times longer to reach a destination by train than by car.

Now retired, Andr茅-Bechely no longer conducts research. But as a grandmother, she still hears about parent鈥檚 experiences at soccer games and birthday parties. 

鈥淧arents still have to be strategic when applying to school choice programs,鈥� she said in an email. 鈥淪ome school choice issues I identified have not gone away.鈥�

For several years, philanthropies like the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation that guided parents, especially low-income families, through the school choice maze. Their efforts emphasized independent charters, but groups like Speak UP and Parent Revolution, which later folded into other nonprofits, helped LAUSD families as well.

鈥淟os Angeles used to have a robust ecosystem of nonprofits empowering parents and challenging the status quo,鈥� said Ben Austin, a former state education board member who founded Parent Revolution. During the pandemic, he pulled his children out of LAUSD and enrolled them in a charter school. When Eli Broad passed away in 2021, other funders didn鈥檛 fill the vacuum, he said. 鈥淓li was such a magnetic leader that when he died, much of the local and national education donor engagement in L.A. died along with him.鈥�

Many families researching options still rely on Facebook and other informal networks, but experience with the process doesn鈥檛 necessarily make it easier. With a fifth grader preparing for middle school, Franco, the school choice commuting veteran, is once again weighing school options.

鈥淚鈥檓 trying to get her into a great program for next year, and I still have a million questions,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hy do I have a million questions if I’ve already been through this before?鈥�

At 32nd Street School near University Park in East Los Angeles, a big, bright trophy goes to the class with the least absences and latenesses 鈥� and Cristales鈥� students are eager to win.

鈥淢y kids are motivated, we want that trophy, and we want to keep it,鈥� said Christales, explaining the winning class gets to display the trophy in their classroom for a month. 鈥淭hey tell each other 鈥楧on鈥檛 be late, don鈥檛 be late.鈥� “

For Cristales, the nationwide problem of chronic absenteeism has hit home, with roughly three of her 22 students not attending class regularly, and the problem seeming to be getting worse. Last school year Cristales鈥� class won the trophy twice – but this year they have not won it at all.   

LA Unified schools saw a severe decline in students’ attendance post-COVID-19, with 40% of students chronically absent in the 2021-22 school year 鈥� a 19.8% increase compared to before the pandemic, an LAUSD spokesperson said. 

鈥淲here do I start,鈥� said Cristales when asked what challenges chronic absenteeism creates for her. 

鈥淓ach day is vital to the content being delivered to the students,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ach day missed is a loss. As an educator [we do] not have the luxury to waste any time.鈥� 

Cristales compared learning to climbing a mountain, with each day in the classroom a step towards reaching the top. Missing just a day of school can impact a student鈥檚 learning, she said.

鈥淵ou feel the obligation to help that student to catch up,鈥� she said, 鈥� [even] when you have other students to help…it is frustrating to me as a teacher because I know what the loss of the day means for those students.鈥� 

Cristales鈥� school also has a partnership with the University of Southern California, which provides tutors and mentors to students twice a week for 30 minutes.

鈥淏ut if the student is not present, they are missing out on the support that they so much need,鈥� she noted. 

LA Unified identify students as chronically absent if have they missed at least 10% of school days or about three and a half weeks of classes. 

“We’ve seen a lot of difference [in my classroom] after COVID,” said Cristales. 鈥淢any of them are not coming, and when you ask them why, many will tell you they woke up late, the traffic was bad鈥t鈥檚 like their priorities have changed, and that’s what I’ve observed.鈥�

Morgan Polikoff, associate professor of USC Rossier School of Education, said COVID has changed many students鈥� and parents鈥� behaviors toward school. 

“Certainly, COVID has made people more sensitive to illness and more likely to keep kids home if they’re not feeling well,” Polikoff said. “There’s also some evidence to suggest that kids are just less engaged in school than they were before.鈥� 

Online classes also created an unintended consequence, creating the belief among families that it’s not a big deal if kids miss school, Polikoff added.

A conducted by Polikoff and his colleagues found there are clear demographic trends in the increases in absenteeism among Black and Hispanic students. These declines have been especially large for historically underserved student groups, with those students not recovering to pre-pandemic levels.

“What we know about the pandemic and its impact on students is that it just widened every gap,” Polikoff said. “The way that our education systems and our society are set up is that all these disadvantages are sort of stacked on top of one another.”

Polikoff said some factors that can lead Black and Hispanic students to have a higher absence rate are , which can lead to sickness or aversion to getting sick.

“There are a million reasons, but they all point in the same direction: Black and Hispanic students are subject to many different forms of cumulative disadvantage both within school and outside of school,” Polikoff added. To combat higher absent rates, LAUSD has established the aimed to improve student attendance and help prepare students to be “ready for the world” through accumulated data, community outreach, and improvement on staff education.

This article is part of a collaboration between 蜜桃影视 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

The program was introduced after LAUSD鈥檚 chronic absenteeism rate skyrocketed to 40% for the 2021-22 school year after students returned to in-person classes following remote instruction during the pandemic, according to the California Department of Education. In the 2022-23 school year, the district has been able to decrease that number to 30%, Carvalho said.

鈥淲e are here to give resources and make parents aware of all of the benefits of ensuring their [children] are at school everyday,鈥� said Andre Spicer, LAUSD regional superintendent, who oversees 200 schools.

Carvalho visited Daisy Morales, mother of four attending LAUSD schools who have been attending classes sporadically. 

Last year, Morales’s children averaged 64 absences.

After working with district officials, that number has been brought down to only two to three absences. Morales said the biggest challenge to getting her kids to school had been transportation issues.

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 like to catch the bus in the morning because of their anxiety,鈥� said Morales, adding she struggled to get her kids to school once they missed the bus. 

But after the district arranged for the bus to pick up her kids as close to their home as possible in what the district calls 鈥渃oncierge transportation,鈥� they began attending school more regularly. 

Carvalho also met with families who hadn鈥檛 enrolled their children in the school system, adding many of them didn鈥檛 even know they were legally required to sign them up for classes.

For the current school year, LAUSD increased enrollment with 20,000 new students, most of whom were 4-year-olds, an increase driven largely by the district鈥檚 new pre-K program.

 鈥淎fter a decade of 6% to 7% of declining enrollment, we have stabilized to 1.9%,鈥� said Carvalho. 

Sherree Lewis-DeVaugh, principal of 135 Street Elementary, said the school had begun hosting interventions with families who struggle to get their kids in school; bringing chronic absences down from 36% to just 10%. 

鈥淚f a student is not in school, how can they learn?鈥� said Lewis-DeVaugh. 鈥淲e need to make sure the students are educated, and to make sure that we provide support to our parents as well.鈥�

The school has begun hosting interventions directly with family members who struggle to get their kids in school; bringing chronic absences down from 36% to just 10%.

This article is part of a collaboration between 蜜桃影视 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Who is ensuring that the people driving vans full of K-12 students in Arizona are properly qualified? Not the , which is tasked with making recommendations for the use of those vans, because the council effectively doesn鈥檛 exist 鈥� and hasn鈥檛 for at least a year.

When lawmakers passed that allows schools to transport students to and from school using 11- to 15-passenger vans instead of yellow buses, proponents promised skeptics that the , in conjunction with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, would establish minimum standards for drivers and safety standards for the vehicles themselves.

But it鈥檚 not possible that DPS worked with the council to create those standards, because the council hasn鈥檛 met since then-Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, signed the bill into law on June 16, 2022.

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The council, whose membership was increased to 14 members from nine by the same bill, is currently completely vacant, and has been vacant for more than a year with no indication from Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs when or if new members will be appointed.

The law that established the council says that it鈥檚 Hobbs鈥� responsibility to appoint members to the council, but it was Ducey who initially allowed all of the members鈥� terms to expire without making reappointments.

Hobbs did not respond to multiple requests for comment or a list of questions that the Mirror sent to her team. Instead, her spokesperson referred the Arizona Mirror to DPS.

DPS did not answer the Mirror鈥檚 questions before this article was published. The most recent for a School Bus Advisory Council meeting 鈥� the former name of the council 鈥� was dated Dec. 14, 2021. A member of the , who wanted to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisal from DPS, told the Mirror that was the council鈥檚 last meeting.

The law governing the council lays out its specific duties, including that it meet twice annually, and that it 鈥渁dvise and consult with the department of public safety concerning matters related to the certification of school bus drivers and the safety of school buses鈥� and 11-15 passenger vans.

The promise was 鈥榓 lot of eyes鈥� looking at the safety

Sen. Sine Kerr, R-Buckeye, sponsored the bill that allows schools to use passenger vans to transport students. She said the vans would be a way for smaller schools in rural areas and charter schools with a widely dispersed student population to transport students more efficiently than with a large-capacity yellow bus.

Vans would also be cheaper than a school bus, which has higher maintenance and operational costs.

The through both chambers of the Arizona legislature last June with only Republican support.

As the bill made its way through legislative committees, multiple Democrats expressed concern about credentialing for drivers and the safety of high-capacity vans.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that only people who are used to driving large passenger vans do so, and it advises that ideally drivers should have a commercial driver鈥檚 license. More than half of the 235 people killed in rollover crashes in 15-passenger vans from 2010 to 2019 were ejected, and 69% of those killed weren鈥檛 wearing seatbelts, according to the NHTSA. Electronic stability control in newer 15-passenger vans prevents the that poses a safety risk in older models.

Regular school bus drivers must obtain a commercial driver鈥檚 license and submit to drug testing, but drivers of 15-passenger vans are only legally required to have a regular drivers license.

During a in February 2022, Sen. Sally Ann Gonzalez, D-Tucson, spoke about working as a school bus driver more than 30 years ago while she was in college. She said that she believes requiring drivers who transport students to have a CDL is an important safety measure.

The transportation administrator who spoke to the Mirror said that DPS strongly recommended during a meeting the agency held with school transportation administrators that schools require van drivers to have a CDL in order to ensure student safety, but he said that the department has no way to enforce that. He estimated that up to 70% of districts in Arizona were already using the vans for student transportation this year, including his own.

Also during the February 2022 committee meeting, Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, said that she appreciated the idea of the bill and the possibility that it might help with an ongoing school bus driver shortage, but was concerned that safety and insurance coverage would be an issue. Marsh ultimately voted against the bill.

In June 2022, when the Senate voted on the bill, Kerr assured those with safety concerns that DPS, in conjunction with the Student Transportation Advisory Council, would keep a close eye on safety measures for use of the vans.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an important bill, particularly for rural areas that need flexibility in their school transportation when it doesn鈥檛 make sense to take a full size school bus to transport students safely on their regular bus routes,鈥� Kerr said, adding that there would be 鈥渁 lot of eyes looking at this on safety.鈥�

Kerr did not respond to requests for comment.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arizona Mirror maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jim Small for questions: info@azmirror.com. Follow Arizona Mirror on and .

A Wednesday panel at the Mackinac Policy Conference highlighted the influence of young people in Michigan鈥檚 political, social and economic environments, while also calling attention to issues most pressing to Generation Z.

Moderator Angelique Power, CEO of the Detroit-based grantmaking organization the Skillman Foundation, was joined on the panel by youth education activist Imani Harris, Black Lives Matter in All Capacities Co-Founder Evamelo Oleita and Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit).

Power opened the panel discussion by emphasizing the role of Gen Z in today鈥檚 public policy. She said that the generation鈥檚 diversity would be an asset in future policymaking.

鈥淭hey are intersectional in their identities, and also in their analysis of what our issues are, and in their proposals for solutions to these problems,鈥� Power said. 鈥淭hey are the largest generation alive 鈥� over a quarter of the U.S. population, over a third of the world population.鈥�

Both of the youth speakers on the panel represented Michigan social justice organizations 鈥� Harris serves as the communications lead for 482Forward, an education justice organization dedicated to Detroit student success, and Oleita is also a member of the Skillman Foundation鈥檚 President鈥檚 Youth Council.

Oleita described how she and her friends were motivated to start Black Lives Matter in All Capacities after learning about the detainment of Grace, a Pontiac student who was put in a juvenile detention center for failing to complete online school assignments in 2020.

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鈥淲e did an overnight occupation outside the detention center where she was being detained, and at 16 and 17 years old, that was really scary,鈥� Oleita said. 鈥淎nd I still don鈥檛 know how we did it, but the following morning Grace was released. And we cried, we celebrated, but we understood that Grace being released was only such a small part of this journey.鈥�

Oleita said that Grace鈥檚 story introduced her to the issue of criminalization of Black girls in Michigan schools, and that she鈥檚 been working since then on education justice issues.

Harris鈥檚 focus on education inequity came at a young age, when she said she began noticing teachers at her Detroit high school having to work without pay and increasing vacancies in her school鈥檚 staff. The experience inspired her to contact her elected officials and start speaking about what she was seeing at school.

鈥淚 was just seeing my experience around me and not feeling like it was being reflected in the conversation,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淪o instead of trying to tell people how I felt on a smaller scale, I wrote my first op-ed, and it went really far.鈥�

Tate noted that the forthcoming state budget would include several measures relating to equitable funding for Michigan schools, which Power said is a key issue for Gen Z voters. He said that education issues, including special education funding, mental health support and free and reduced lunch and breakfast would all be addressed by the currently passed House version of the budget.

鈥淚 think it points us in the right direction,鈥� Tate said. 鈥淏ut I think there鈥檚 certainly more that we need to do there.鈥�

Harris鈥� and Oleita鈥檚 passion for organizing isn鈥檛 uncommon for members of Gen Z. Power said that in areas where Michigan lags behind on voter turnout and engagement, Gen Z is showing up.

鈥淣ot only are young people concerned with public policy, they are making some pretty big gains, including securing 150 million and mental health funding for schools,鈥� Power said. 鈥淎nd Michigan Gen Zers led the nation in youth voter turnout in 2022.鈥�

Tate said that as a legislator he鈥檚 seen the impact of that turnout firsthand, whether in the power of a Gen Z voting bloc in Michigan or new members of the legislature that are the youngest in state history, but that there鈥檚 still a way to go on fully integrating young people into the policymaking process.

鈥淚 think the work that Gen Z members have been doing and been able to advocate for is starting to get reflected, but I think there鈥檚 certainly more throughout our process,鈥� Tate said. 鈥淚 think that starts with individual members really engaging in their districts and then in their communities.鈥�

Harris said that intergenerational conversations are a key part of making young people feel heard and that they can be active participants in public policy, but that they have to be conducted with trust and understanding. She said it鈥檚 important to set boundaries and expectations before forming an intergenerational relationship.

鈥淭hey might be transactional sometimes, or they might feel like tokenism even though that鈥檚 not the intention,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淏ecause that base conversation was not had about, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 our goals; what鈥檚 our vision? What鈥檚 our dream for this?鈥欌��

The panelists also discussed education solutions like the weighted funding formula, which would aim to direct state per-pupil funds in higher concentration to school districts classified as higher-need, as well as a pressing question for Michigan鈥檚 : How will the state retain its young people as they grow up?

Harris moved back to Detroit upon her graduation from Northwestern University, but Oleita, a freshman at Michigan State University, isn鈥檛 sure yet whether she鈥檒l remain in Michigan after graduation. She faces the same decision that many young Michiganders are: Move out of state to pursue more opportunity, or try to find it here at home?

鈥淚 want to stay but I don鈥檛 know if I will,鈥� Oleita said. 鈥淎nd if I do stay it鈥檒l definitely be because of the people, especially in Detroit.鈥�

Oleita said that transportation access is a key factor in her decision on where to put down roots post-grad.

鈥淵ou look at places like New York, where they have reliable and accessible transportation everywhere,鈥� Oleita said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really interesting that we call ourselves the home of the Motor City, but we don鈥檛 have reliable transportation everywhere.鈥�

Both Harris and Oleita agreed that to retain young people, Michigan needs to refocus its priorities.

鈥淗ow are we caring for our young people?鈥� Oleita said. 鈥淎re we putting the same amount of effort and love that we put into so many other things in our society back into the most valuable assets, which are our youth?鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Susan Demas for questions: info@michiganadvance.com. Follow Michigan Advance on and .

ESSEX, Md. 鈥� Monica Momoh, a freshman at the Community College of Baltimore County in Maryland, doesn鈥檛 cry easily. But one day a few weeks ago, she found herself sobbing outside a classroom.

Momoh, 25, describes herself as 鈥渉appy-go-lucky,鈥� but when she temporarily lost the use of her car and had no way to easily get back and forth to school, she was beside herself. She鈥檇 scraped money together for a ride-share before class but now had to get home, 8 miles away.

Luckily, a woman she didn鈥檛 know saw her weeping in the hall and handed her a card for the student outreach services.

鈥淲hen I didn鈥檛 have a car, it really broke me,鈥� Momoh said in an interview. 鈥淭he car was my lifeline.鈥�

The first day she sought help, she got a bus pass from the school. But taking the bus forced her to walk 40 minutes from the bus stop to her home 鈥� in a downpour, on a leg she injured in a car crash last winter that still gives her problems.

On the second day, the school gave her a few vouchers for a ride-sharing service. It was a temporary solution, but enough to tide her over to get to classes until she regained the use of the car a few weeks later.

鈥淭he area I live in is kind of remote,鈥� said Momoh, a psychology major. The lack of a car, she added, 鈥渄id discourage me from going to school.鈥�

A dearth of transportation options is a major barrier for students with low incomes who are pursuing higher education, especially those attending community colleges in rural areas. In many cases, logistical challenges, rather than academic ones, prevent students from earning a degree.

Only 57% of community college main campuses in the United States have transit stops within walking distance, defined as a quarter mile or less, and many rural campuses have no public transportation access at all, according to  by the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that focuses on equitable access to public services.

Another 25% of the campuses could be made transit accessible with relatively low-cost improvements such as extending bus lines.

But a shortage of public bus drivers in the wake of the pandemic has made even small route extensions problematic in many areas of the country, as Stateline has reported.

Even for community colleges that are accessible by public transit, such as the Community College of Baltimore County campus in Essex, syncing up bus routes with where students live or with class schedules can be a challenge, said Abigail Seldin, co-founder of the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation.

The lack of attention to bus routes and schedules often leaves students with long distances to navigate on foot.

鈥淚n a lot of places, we are talking about the last-mile coverage,鈥� Seldin said. 鈥淭hey [students] are one flat tire away from dropping out. They may be one well-placed bus stop from graduation.鈥�

The cost of transportation also can be a challenge for community college students from families with low incomes. The College Board estimates that during the 2021-22 school year, students attending public two-year schools  on transportation, nearly half of the $3,800 they spent on tuition and fees.

A  by the University of North Carolina School of Law and UnidosUS, a civil rights and advocacy group, pegged transportation difficulties, along with an aversion to taking on debt, as the main reason Hispanic students lag behind White and Asian people in completing college.

鈥淭ransportation is often the single thread holding together a precarious balancing act that allows the student to attend school while juggling multiple other responsibilities,鈥� the report said. 鈥淏ecause transportation cuts across responsibilities related to work, school, and home, when that thread is broken, everything can unravel.鈥�

Students interviewed by the researchers talked about the stress of having to cobble together carpools, rides, public transportation and walks to make it to class and work 鈥� sometimes multiple jobs 鈥� on time.

Prince Bahadur, 19, whose family immigrated to the United States from India in 2016 when he was a freshman in high school, is the student government association president at Harper College, a community college in Chicago鈥檚 northwest suburbs. But that lofty position doesn鈥檛 make him immune from transportation troubles.

Without a driver鈥檚 license, Bahadur relies on public transportation or friends to get to campus, he said in an interview. He uses a ride-sharing discount the college provides when he can鈥檛 catch a ride with friends.

His home 鈥� where he lives with his truck driver dad, his retail worker mom and a younger brother 鈥� is only about 7 miles from the campus, but the bus route would take him an hour and a half, he said. The ride-share passes he gets from the school cut the cost of a ride by $10, from about $16 to $6, but he only gets to use the discount for four rides a month.

Another option is a bike-share program, also discounted by the college. But that won鈥檛 work in Illinois winters. 鈥淭here would be a lot of skidding going on,鈥� he said, chuckling.

Christopher Maxwell, associate dean of students at Harper College, said the ride-share subsidy program launched just last month at the beginning of the semester. Invitations to participate were sent to the approximately 10,000 undergraduates and about 400 have enrolled so far. Since then, he said, 60% of those enrolled have used the rides at least once.

Maxwell said a survey of students showed transportation was a top barrier to attendance.  

鈥淪tudents don鈥檛 have enough access in their life to get transportation to Harper College,鈥� he said, adding that once word gets around about the program, he expects participation to increase. The program is funded through surplus college funds and a foundation that raises money for the college, he said.

Subsidizing ride-share or public transit programs are only two ways that community colleges have tried to ease the transportation problem.

The Los Angeles Community College District got a $1 million federal grant to extend free rides on the LA Metro for students for the 2022-23 academic year. The one-time grant also applies to some ancillary transportation networks around the county.

Chattanooga State Community College in Tennessee used pandemic emergency relief funds last year to pay for free bus transportation for students. When those funds ran out, the school decided to try to continue the program with different dollars, said Amanda Bennett, vice president for student affairs.

鈥淲e are using philanthropic funds to continue this service,鈥� she said in a phone interview. 鈥淚t is a free program and universal and destigmatizes the use of this service. Before, students could go and get a bus pass, but it would self-stigmatize them.

鈥淔or students who rely on it, it absolutely makes the difference between whether they can continue their education,鈥� Bennett said of the program, which she said costs only $15,000 at the small school.

Other schools have tried subsidies, dedicated buses that link with existing public transit, or bike and scooter terminals.

California state lawmakers approved a  this year that would have provided free transportation for all public and community college students. But last month, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the legislation, saying the projected $115 million annual cost was too high.  

鈥淢any of California’s transit agencies provide reduced or free transit for certain populations, including students,鈥� Newsom said in his veto message. 鈥淲hile I agree with the intent of this bill to supplement and expand those existing programs, the bill requires the creation of a new grant program that was not funded in the budget.鈥�

California Assemblymember Chris Holden, a Democrat who introduced the bill this year, said he would try again.

The situation also has come to the attention of federal lawmakers. Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, both Democrats, have proposed issuing federal grants to mass transit agencies to add transit stops closer to campuses. Their bills are still awaiting consideration.

Each weekday, more than half of the K-12 students in the U.S. 鈥� 鈥� ride a school bus. Until very recently, nearly all of these ran on diesel fuel.

Nationwide, diesel-powered school buses produce of carbon dioxide emissions. They also generate that are harmful to children鈥檚 health 鈥� especially . Studies show that exposure to diesel tailpipe emissions and can lead to increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits.

Shifting to cleaner buses is especially important for low-income students. Across the U.S., ride the school bus, compared with 45% of other students. School buses often while they are loading or unloading, which exposes children directly to exhaust fumes.

I study issues at the intersection of , including sustainability and equity in transportation. While electrifying school bus fleets requires big investments, I believe the evidence makes clear that it will more than pay off over the long term in health and economic benefits, and I am encouraged to see public and private investments moving in that direction.

Early movers

Decisions about switching from diesel to electric school buses typically lie with cities and school districts, although state governments are getting involved. As of , 415 school districts or contracted fleet operators had committed to deploy 12,275 electric school buses in a wide range of settings, from large cities to rural counties, across 38 states and lands of two Native American tribes.

California, a in clean vehicle policy, acquired its first electric school buses in 2014. Now the state is spending nearly US$70 million to to advance its climate and air-quality goals.

Another notable case is Montgomery County, the largest school district in Maryland, which is and building five charging depots. The district serves a diverse population of .

In Virginia, the utility company Dominion Energy that it would provide 50 electric buses for 16 school districts across the state as one of its initiatives to reduce pollution and promote sustainability. Dominion is paying for infrastructure costs and absorbing the cost difference between a diesel and an electric bus.

The biggest obstacles: Funding and space

As Dominion鈥檚 gesture suggests, converting bus fleets isn鈥檛 an easy step for many school districts. An electric school bus , of a diesel bus.

But electric buses have , so they save districts an estimated $4,000 to $11,000 per bus per year compared with diesel versions. That can make the costs of electric buses comparable over their lifetimes.

Electric bus motors have about 20 parts, compared with 2,000 in a diesel engine, and require far fewer maintenance steps such as regular fluid changes. And because many of their mechanical systems, such as braking and steering, are similar to those in diesel buses, electric buses are relatively easy to service, especially in districts where both bus types operate.

Charging stations also require money and space, especially in areas where bus routes are long and battery range is a constraint. Most buses now on the market have ranges of about to (160-190 kilometers) on a single charge.

In a 2013 study, analysts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory reviewed school bus drive cycles in Colorado, New York and Washington and found that the average school bus was typically in operation for . Driving distance averaged about 32 miles, (50 kilometers), with some buses traveling over 127 miles (200 kilomaters) daily.

School districts need places to charge buses easily and efficiently, especially between morning and afternoon routes. Building this infrastructure, especially as diesel buses continue to operate concurrently with growing electric fleets, can pose a challenge in school districts where .

Buses as power sources

At the same time, charging infrastructure can make school bus fueling and management more efficient. Today鈥檚 allows districts to plug in a bus whenever it is parked at the depot but have the bus charge only when needed. Chargers can be programmed to function at times of day when energy demand is lowest and power is less expensive.

Manufacturers are introducing buses equipped with that can send stored electricity back to the grid when they are not in service. During summer months, when many school buses are not in use and power usage often peaks, utilities soon may be able to call on school districts to make charged buses available to help ease demand load. These buses can also during power outages and emergencies.

In a 2022 study, researchers at the University of North Carolina analyzed how the state鈥檚 utilities could use school buses with vehicle-to-grid charging to manage peak power demand while taking the buses鈥� schedules into account. They estimated that a fleet of 14,000 buses could on an average winter weekend day in North Carolina, reducing utilities鈥� dependence on natural gas and avoiding up to 1,130 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per day.

Cleaner air is likely to pay off in improved student performance. In a , researchers found that 2,656 diesel buses in Georgia 鈥� adding new components to reduce the buses鈥� emissions 鈥� was associated with positive effects on students鈥� respiratory health, and that districts with retrofitted diesel buses experienced test score gains in English and math. Since even modernized diesel vehicles still generate air pollutants, shifting to electric buses would likely produce even larger increases.

Spreading the benefits

Federal and state agencies are moving to speed up the transition to electric school buses. The American Rescue Plan, enacted in 2021 to provide economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, included for school districts in underserved communities, Tribal schools and private fleets serving schools that purchase electric buses.

In March 2022 the Environmental Protection Agency for 23 electric school bus replacement programs and associated charging infrastructure in 11 states. And New York state鈥檚 includes a nation-leading requirement that all new school bus purchases must be electric starting in July 2027, and that all school buses in service must be zero-emission by 2035. The budget allocates $500 million in potential state funding for school bus electrification as part of a larger environmental bond act, which will be on the ballot in November 2022.

Riding the iconic yellow school bus is a formative experience for millions of kids across the U.S. If more districts make the shift away from diesel, I believe it will become a greener and healthier trip and a step toward the zero-emissions future our nation鈥檚 children deserve.

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, and EPA officials introduced the which will allocate $5 billion over the next five years to replace school buses around the country, thus reducing emissions.

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Escobar was joined by EPA Region 6 Administrator Earthea Nance at the March 21 announcement.

The EPA is still building the program, Nance said, so many of the details and rules for application will be clarified after the final guidelines are released in April.

The $5 billion federal budget for the program dwarfs the agency鈥檚 spending on the traditional school bus replacement program, as the $1 billion annual budget is 100 times greater than the for the last five years.

Nance said the program will mitigate public health problems for millions of people caused by burning diesel, and reduce climate change impacts.

鈥淪tudents are particularly vulnerable to air pollution inside and near older diesel school buses, these pollutants increase children’s (risk) of asthma and other respiratory illnesses,鈥� Nance said. 鈥淐hildren are not the only ones at risk, bus drivers and other school staff are also exposed to diesel exhaust pollution.鈥�

Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in November 2021 which funds the EPA鈥檚 Clean School Bus program. The EPA will dedicate half of the funding — about $438 million a year — to purchasing zero-emission electric buses. The other half will support purchasing 鈥渃lean school buses鈥� encompassing both fully electric options but also buses that burn alternate fuels to diesel (such as propane, liquefied natural gas, hydrogen or biofuels).

The federal government will pay up to 100% of the cost for replacing the buses, as well as installing charging or refueling stations. Eligible recipients include local governments, school districts, tribal schools, and contractors (for profit and nonprofit) that sell buses.School districts that have already invested in clean buses can apply for electric buses, Nance said.

Unlike previous programs, Nance said one requirement of the program requires that 40% of the benefits go to disadvantaged minority, rural or poorer districts.

鈥淔or far too long, too many communities in particular, low-income communities and communities of color, suffer disproportionately from poor air quality and high levels of air pollution, and the devastating health impacts from breathing unhealthy air,鈥� Nance said.

In an interview, Nance said she couldn鈥檛 answer if El Paso鈥檚 school districts would be prioritized in funding considerations until the final rules are released in April.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have all the components of the program yet, but we鈥檙e getting that buy-in and excitement, but then not have all the details for you,鈥� Nance said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e walking that line right now.鈥�

Officials from Anthony, Canutillo, San Elizario, Tornillo, Ysleta, Clint and Socorro school districts attended the March 21 session.

No representatives from El Paso Independent School District, the region鈥檚 largest public school system, attended because of late notice of the event, spokesperson Gustavo Reveles said. He added that the district is 鈥渆xcited about the potential鈥� of the program.

鈥�(EPISD) will further look into the program to determine the feasibility and requirements to apply for funding,鈥� Reveles wrote in an email.

EPISD has a fleet of 285 buses, all in operation. Those buses are 鈥渓ow-emission鈥� propane powered with the exception of 12 small activity buses, Reveles said.

Many of those buses are new, purchased in 2016听 when the district spent $8.4 million of its to buy 81 new buses. The average age of the fleet is five years old, Reveles said.

Nate Carman, who started as the superintendent at Socorro Independent School District last week, said the meeting was exciting for the district.

鈥淚 feel hopeful that there are funds available for us to be able to get some buses that will help with the clean air initiative and operate more efficiently,鈥� he said.

Socorro ISD has 299 buses, with 36 currently out of service, according to SISD spokesperson Daniel Escobar. The buses range in age from 24 years to just under a year.

Escobar said the district purchased 30 lower-emission buses two years ago. Ten of those were bought with district funds to serve students with disabilities, costing $950,000. The remaining 20 buses used a mix of grant and district funds to split the $2.1 million cost, he said.

YISD Superintendent Xavier DeLaTorre said last month that the district needed more information before applying.

鈥淭he devil is in the details, of course,鈥� DeLaTorre said. 鈥淲e have to take inventory of our current bus supply and see how many of the buses would actually qualify and how many buses we鈥檇 actually be willing to dispose of to secure an electric bus.鈥�

This first appeared on and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Recommendations include ways schools can reduce carbon emissions, utilize infrastructure as a teaching tool, support communities of color disproportionately affected by weather crises and create pathways for students to pursue green jobs.

鈥淯ltimately, there are a lot of technical fixes that we need in addressing climate change. But we will need people to actually advance a sustainable society,鈥� said Laura Schifter, senior fellow with the Aspen Institute and founder of the new initiative, .

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Synthesizing a year of listening tours and research, the connects one of the country鈥檚 most sizable public sectors to actionable climate solutions 鈥� like warming effects by replacing the nation鈥檚 largest diesel fleet with electric school buses and swapping the common asphalt plots that surround schools with green spaces.

Organized by federal, state and local impact, all recommendations detail what partnerships can and do look like with business, philanthropy, media and advocacy organizations across the country.

In comparison with private homes, public safety offices and businesses, , according to the New Buildings Institute, a nonprofit that tracks and helps to redesign commercial spaces鈥� energy performance. Annually, K-12 schools in the U.S. produce emissions equivalent to or roughly 15 million cars. Energy is the second most costly expense for school districts on average.

The K12 Climate Action of students, teachers, education administrators and environmental leaders includes incoming Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, researcher and president of the Learning Policy Institute and the presidents of the country鈥檚 two largest teachers unions, representing roughly 4 million educators combined. The group is co-led by Republican Christine Todd Whitman, former New Jersey governor and head of the Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush, and Democrat John King, former U.S. secretary of education under President Obama who is now running for Maryland governor.

With the action plan now live, the commission is coalition building with districts and businesses nationwide. Their focus is educating more leaders about how small and large school infrastructure changes or partnerships can support a cleaner environment, so that they鈥檙e able to follow through on recommendations.

鈥淎ll the things that we’re calling for are achievable. There’s someplace somewhere that is doing each of the things we recommend,鈥� King told 蜜桃影视.

Some suggested changes, like improving air quality for students, are highly anticipated by parents and already underway in efforts to ameliorate pandemic health concerns. Beginning next year, more than 500 schools across New York state will further improve air quality, reduce emissions and add energy career and tech opportunities under Gov. Kathy Hochul鈥檚 just-announced $59 million . New York officials are partnering with the New Buildings Institute on the effort.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers who sometimes clashed with King in her role as a labor leader, told 蜜桃影视 that the union 鈥渓eaped鈥� at the opportunity to be involved in K12 Climate Action, seeing it as part of the AFT鈥檚 broader goal to make schools safe and healthy spaces for learning.

鈥淭he way you teach people is by not telling them, but having them see, feel, touch, use whatever senses they have to really envision a future,鈥� she said.

Weingarten and other commission leaders toured Alice West Fleet Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia Sept. 21 to learn how a small school has become a model of sustainability for the affluent, D.C. area county. The school鈥檚 geothermal heating system and solar panels save roughly $100,000 in energy costs each year, enough to fund two teachers鈥� starting salaries, according to the Aspen Institute鈥檚 Laura Schifter.

In the center of Alice West Fleet, the red and blue lights of a 鈥渟olar pole鈥� show students how much energy is being produced and used at any given moment. Any surplus goes to greater Arlington County, and upper grade students use data collected to make comparisons and predictions about how much energy will be produced at different points in the year.

On the first floor is the yet-to-be-named 鈥淧ower Pole,鈥� showing students the amount of power the school has generated. The blue is from the solar panels, the red is the power being used. Extra power goes back to the county.

鈥� AFT (@AFTunion)

Weingarten, whose enthusiasm was evident during the tour when she slid down a slide that connects Fleet鈥檚 third and second floors, added that the AFT recently established a climate task force, including members from states heavily dependent on the fossil fuel industry, like Texas, West Virginia and Alaska. The growing urgency to address climate needs across political parties and geography gives her hope that what unites us is greater than what divides us.

鈥淛ust like our responsibility to educate kids, there’s a responsibility to keep a climate that’s going to be there,鈥� Weingarten said.

Commission member Nikki Pitre, executive director for the told 蜜桃影视 that there鈥檚 also a responsibility to keep Indigenous people and values at the forefront of climate solutions, given that Native peoples have always stewarded the land and acted as environmentalists.

The action plan emphasizes that Indigenous communities鈥� knowledge systems 鈥� their local culture and ecological practices 鈥� must be included in climate solutions.

Pitre said she walked away from the tour of Alice Fleet questioning, 鈥淲hat do we need to advocate for in our policies to ensure that these schools are not the exception? That we鈥檙e providing equal access across the country 鈥� including tribal reservations, including urban spaces?鈥�

School leaders on the commission say that equity considerations play a key part in deciding which sustainable infrastructure improvements are prioritized because solutions cannot be one-size-fit-all. For some districts, climate issues are just as urgent as addressing unfinished learning and mental health concerns related to the pandemic as families face unprecedented flooding in the South and upper Atlantic.

As Los Angeles County鈥檚 superintendent of schools, Debra Duardo leads the that constitute the nation鈥檚 largest K-12 consolidated school system. She told 蜜桃影视 she hesitated when first approached by the commission, given all the urgent challenges facing students during the pandemic.

鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 really placed as much of an emphasis on my own time and knowledge on understanding the impact that the education sector has on the environment. For me it was like, we鈥檙e super busy right now, but one thing this pandemic has taught us is that schools have to be ready to step up 鈥� that people look to schools as the hub of support and resources and communities,鈥� Duardo said.

In Los Angeles, where families increasingly face poor air quality from smog and fire smoke, she said, it鈥檚 historically been student and environmental activists leading the charge for climate solutions. However busy leaders might be, she said, they cannot ignore the dread young people feel when confronting climate change and the strains it may place on their learning.

鈥淭here’s so much evidence and research that tells us that children thrive when they’re in an environment where it’s safe, beautiful and accommodating to meet their needs …Children aren’t going to learn and thrive in an environment if they don’t feel like anybody is listening, or they鈥檙e concerned that their futures, their safety are in danger.鈥�

Advocates and teachers say presents a way to confront some eco-anxiety with positive actions and possibilities for future careers in engineering, green infrastructure and clean energy. K12 Climate Action commissioners contend that infrastructure changes are reducing emissions while preparing the next generation of stewards.

Sustainable changes also open the door for deeper civic and family engagement at a time when the pandemic has strained relationships to schools. As a part of a larger research assignment on the Chesapeake Bay, Ashley Snyder鈥檚 fourth-grade students at Alice West Fleet started brainstorming ways to share with the community how best to enhance rain gardens and filtration systems to protect the watershed area.

鈥淚 definitely see the students bringing home a lot more of what they’re learning to their families,鈥� she said.

But now, with chicken and beef prices up, a worldwide shortage of packaging materials and a dearth of long-haul truckers, she鈥檚 not as sure what she鈥檒l be serving the district鈥檚 18,000 students this fall. And she won鈥檛 be surprised if distributors start adding transportation surcharges 鈥渢o stop the bleeding on their end鈥� 鈥� something she hasn鈥檛 seen since the Great Recession.

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鈥淚t鈥檚 a domino effect,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e at the point now where we don鈥檛 even know what鈥檚 going to come in the back door.鈥�

Food services are just one aspect of school operations affected by inflation, which is experiencing a 13-year high. Wages are climbing because districts can鈥檛 find enough employees to drive buses or provide students additional academic support. Price hikes on materials are causing some districts to hit pause on construction projects and districts are for teachers to help students catch up.

At a time when the American Rescue Plan is flooding school districts with more federal money than they鈥檝e ever had, educators are slowly awakening to the reality that those funds might not go as far as expected and that inflation may have a lasting impact on their regular budgets as well .

鈥淪chool districts are like little cities. You鈥檝e got food service. You鈥檝e got transportation. You鈥檝e got maintenance. Inflation across the sectors will impact all those areas,鈥� said Charles Carpenter, chief financial officer for the Denver Public Schools.

The economic indicators are clear. This summer, the Consumer Price Index 鈥� which measures changes in what people typically pay for goods and services 鈥� saw its largest one-month and 12-month increases since 2008, according to the government鈥檚 .

Experts attribute in inflation in part to the rollback of pandemic restrictions: Consumers are traveling, eating out and shopping more, which is driving up prices. But there鈥檚 not enough supply to meet the demand.

The debate is over how much to worry about it. Some that President Joe Biden鈥檚 policies 鈥� the partisan relief bill that passed in March and his big-ticket infrastructure packages 鈥� will hurt the economy, while others argue this period of inflation and won鈥檛 spiral out of control.

Either way, Carpenter is closely monitoring costs of raw materials like lumber and copper as the district moves forward with building new schools and adding air-conditioning to 24 sites over the next three years.

Contractors 鈥渁re bidding on our projects knowing that they鈥檒l see price increases,鈥� he said. 鈥淒o you try and push forward now and lock in a price or wait and it could be worse?鈥�

Some districts are discussing whether to to lower prices and others have decided to pause projects because contractors can鈥檛 provide solid cost estimates. The St. Clair R-III School District, southwest of St. Louis, decided in June to delay construction on a performing arts center and a bus facility until costs stabilize. 鈥淚t has become much more difficult to obtain competitive, cost-effective bids for construction projects,鈥� Superintendent Kyle Kruse said in his report to the board.

鈥楥an鈥檛 find the people鈥�

While districts might be able to defer construction or renovation, they can鈥檛 put off addressing students鈥� academic needs 鈥� especially given the extreme learning loss that often accompanied more than a year of remote learning.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got this short-term demand for services to mitigate instructional loss and a shortage of labor willing to put in that time,鈥� said Jonathan Travers, who leads consulting services for Education Resource Strategies, a nonprofit that helps districts leverage resources to improve student learning.

That鈥檚 why in addition to price hikes on materials, districts are seeing higher labor costs. Some have offered bonuses and even to attract summer school teachers. The danger for districts, he said, is that unions might expect to maintain those higher wages when they return to the bargaining table to negotiate future contracts.

In Plymouth-Canton, Hennessey still has 20 positions to fill before fall. She said entry-level school nutrition employees earn about $11 per hour, but that doesn鈥檛 come close to the $15 they can earn at McDonald鈥檚. And districts nationally are struggling to find even with higher pay.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have all this money,鈥� said Uri Monson, chief financial officer with the Philadelphia schools. 鈥淏ut if you can鈥檛 find the people to do the work 鈥� even if you鈥檙e going to pay them 鈥� that鈥檚 a problem.鈥�

Districts aren鈥檛 the only ones feeling the pinch. from the accounting firm KPMGshowed parents estimate they鈥檒l spend an average of $20 more on school supplies this fall. Parents of young children, many of whom delayed enrollment last year, anticipate spending $156 per child 鈥� a 32 percent increase over last school year.

What鈥檚 eating up much of their back-to-school spending? 鈥� a necessity some may have skipped last fall when many districts opened remotely.

One relief for families is that the increased costs come at the same time the majority of households with school-age children are receiving monthly of $250 to $300, approved as part of the relief bill.

鈥楥alm the markets鈥�

Some districts plan budgets to allow them to ride out periods like this. The Philadelphia district signs fixed contracts for expenses such as fuel, food services 鈥� and, of course, labor.

鈥淲e occasionally get criticized when we do long-term guaranteed pricing contracts,鈥� Monson said. 鈥淣o one is going to complain right now. This is exactly why we do it.鈥�

But he acknowledged that the soaring prices are hitting contractors hard as well as those waiting for supplies. 鈥淭he cost of wood and basic materials has been out of control,鈥� Monson said. And with shipping delays, he鈥檚 urging departments to allow longer lead times for deliveries. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really hard to order something on Friday and expect it to be there on Monday.鈥�

That鈥檚 because the most Americans experienced at the beginning of the pandemic haven鈥檛 really gone away.

鈥淭here are shipments from Asia that have been stuck at the Los Angeles port since October鈥� 鈥� mostly because of labor shortages, said Charlie Andrews, a senior cost manager with Rider Levett Bucknall, which advises school districts on construction costs and provides project management services.

When contractors face unforeseen costs, such as tariffs, they often pass those on to school systems.

Mary Filardo, executive director of the 21st Century School Fund 鈥� which advocates for modernizing school facilities 鈥� said cost fluctuations help make the case for Biden鈥檚 $100 school construction plan, a combination of direct grants and bonds. The proposal didn鈥檛 make it in the with Republicans, but is expected to re-emerge in the details of a Democrats have proposed.

鈥淒istricts need long money,鈥� Filardo said. 鈥淚t will calm the markets somewhat and give them more leverage as they plan and implement projects.鈥�