Governor gives green light to Rockefeller’s student transportation bill

OLYMPIA – School districts all over Washington rely upon state funding to underwrite the transportation students depend on to get to and from school each day. Unfortunately, those funds are allocated using a mileage formula based on “how the crow flies” instead of “how the bus drives,” leaving many school districts short-changed.

Today, the old way of doing things was redirected onto a new road when Gov. Chris Gregoire signed Senate Bill 5114 into law.

“This new law gives assistance to schools struggling to keep up with the actual costs of transporting students,” said Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Kitsap County, the measure’s sponsor.

“Using radius miles instead of actual road miles to measure to-and-from school distances fails to factor in the geography of the area or safe bus routes to schools,” he explained. “My bill calls for the development of a new formula that will reflect the actual costs of transporting students. In this way I expect to see the state dollars cover this essential cost, which is truly a state responsibility.”

Senate Bill 5114 requires 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 and be a transparent and reliable funding source for local districts.

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