Provides an overview of busing and the neighborhood school concept. Argues that educators must push those programs that show the most promise of creating integrated neighborhoods and attracting Whites back to the cities. (Author/IRT)

Describes different forms of school choice plans and the arguments in favor of and against such plans. Proposes a federal tax credit for the transportation costs for parents who enroll their children in schools of choice. Offers evidence that other federal tax credits have influenced the behavior they were designed to influence. (58 footnotes)…

Examines cost-effectiveness of school inclusion for special-needs students. Includes cost analysis of instructional personnel, impact on general education spending, transportation, and school space. Draws policy implications. (Contains 34 references.) (PKP)

Delineating the current costs and quality of service of pupil transportation provides a basis for evaluating alternatives. With this, districts can identify the opportunities to (1) provide the current service more efficiently; (2) modify the current service parameters; and (3) provide service under a more efficient operating system. (MLF)

Computerized pupil transportation systems offer promising benefits to school districts. Outlines ways school administrators can select the right product by following some traditional business approaches. (MLF)

School districts experiencing student transportation problems along with limited staff ability and time, and extremely sensitive issues, can benefit from a transportation consultant. A pupil transportation consultant can assist districts in management studies, staff development, and operations. (MLF)

School transportation experts consider the following essential rules in purchasing school buses: know your geography; know federal and state regulations; write specifications carefully; plan for replacement and growth; check out prospective bidders; keep up with recent trends; and remain flexible. New Jersey enacted a law last year requiring seat…

Under the 1973 Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, school districts must transport students with disabilities to a site providing a free, appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. This article discusses federal and state laws governing student transportation, including wheelchair…

Entrepreneurship is helping balance the budget for the Gloucester, Massachusetts, schools. The school district has taken over management of an indoor ice hockey rink, is running concessions on two city beaches, and started its own school bus company. (MLF)

Administrators looking for budget relief might look for cost savings in pupil transportation. The basic school bus that meets federal standards, with no optional equipment, is the safest vehicle on the road. The best investment in a transportation program is driver training. Route and schedule changes might lead to an increase in efficiency…

In the past, active transportation to school offered an important source of daily physical activity for youth; more recently, however, factors related to distance, safety, or physical or social environments may have contributed to the proportion of children who travel to school by motorized vehicle. The authors examine the characteristics of…

From April 25 through June 30, 2007, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy conducted its fifth survey of the privatization of bus, food and janitorial services among Michigan's 552 conventional public school districts. All Michigan school districts responded. In 2007, the Mackinac Center also conducted a nationwide survey of state education…

In June 1995, the Idaho Joint Legislative Oversight Committee directed the Office of Performance Evaluations to conduct an evaluation of school district pupil transportation. This report, the last in a series of four, examines the apparent cost difference between district-operated transportation programs and those that are contracted to…

Information to aid the school-law specialist in handling transportation issues is provided in this handbook. Following an introduction, section 2 discusses the school's liability for transportation decisions, including school bus safety requirements, selection of transportation, the care owed to students, and school defenses in transportation…

Investigates the relationship between internal school economies and transportation diseconomies with regard to consolidation of rural schools. Results indicate that some consolidation would minimize costs but that total cost savings would be relatively small. (Author/IRT)