Senate on the right road: Student transportation bill approved

OLYMPIA – The Senate today passed a bill to give assistance to schools struggling to keep up with the increasing costs of transporting students to and from schools.

“With the passage of today’s bill, we are on the road to updating our outdated methodology,” said Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Kitsap County, the measure’s sponsor. “This bill creates the opportunity for the development of a new formula that will take into account the actual costs of transporting students.”

Senate Bill 5114 would require the superintendent of public instruction to develop two options for a new formula, to be presented to the Legislature and governor before the next legislative session. The formulas would have to reflect the actual mileage costs, instead of the current “as the crow flies” approach now used.

“Using a radius mile instead of a road mile to measure to-and-from school distances did not take into account the geography of the area or safe routes to schools. This bill addresses the inequities in pupil transportation funding across school districts,” said Rockefeller.

SB 5114 passed the Senate on a 45-3 vote, and now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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