Got bus? Transportation is a big issue for Utah's charter schools
Janjua — a Highland auto dealer who purchased the bus, fixed it up and donated it to a charter high school to secure enough volunteer hours to guarantee enrollment for his children — described the trip as tedious.
"I would not want to do it again," he said.
Janjua's weariness is not unlike those of other parents who drive their children to Utah's charter schools each day.
In Utah, charter schools do not get any state funding for transportation. Charter schools are public schools founded by boards typically made up of parents who control curriculum.
For students attending district schools, Utah law requires busing for those who live more than 1 1/2 miles from their elementary schools and more than 2 miles from their junior or senior high schools. The state picks up roughly 80 percent of the busing tab.
But at charter schools, it's up to each school to squeeze it from their budgets — or not.
That bus Janjua donated ended up at the Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, which opened this year in Lindon.
But the bus hasn't alleviated all of Maeser Prep's transportation problems: It only holds 72 passengers. The school counts 161 students, so parents must drive their children to and from school daily. The bus is reserved for field trips and activities.
Mother of eight Paula Abbott drives to Noah Webster Academy in Orem three times a day — before and after school, as well as a midday trip to pick up her kindergartner.
Abbott knew she'd have to drive her kids when she enrolled them at the charter school but describes the constant driving as a pain.
"What a blessing for those kids to have that bus donated," said Abbott, who said she often drives students to field trips because Noah Webster doesn't have a bus.
The Center for Education Reform, a pro-charter school nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., gave Utah a C grade for its laws and policies regarding charter schools. Busing is part of the grade, as well as difficulty of opening charter schools and other aspects of charter school operations.
In general, the states that received A grades provided charter school students more access to busing than charter school students in Utah receive.
For instance, in Delaware, students are transported to charter schools on either district buses or charter school buses. If the charter schools provide the buses, they get state transportation aid.
Recent comments
Charter schools aren't crying for transportation money. Re-read...
Anonymous | Dec. 13, 2007 at 7:01 p.m.
Please don't cry over lack of transportation to your charter...
Friend of Public Schools | Dec. 13, 2007 at 2:42 p.m.
Please tell me why you ask Vik Arnold's opinion on anything!...
Parent and Taxpayer | Dec. 11, 2007 at 11:31 p.m.
