Welcome Task Force Members & Guests

Task Force Members please have your camera on, audio muted, and relevant documents available at the beginning of the meeting.

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• Welcome to the public who are watching the meeting via Live Streaming.

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• If the public has any questions or comments regarding transportation operations, these can be sent via email to Susan Miller at miller_s@cde.state.co.us

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• If the public has any questions or comments regarding transportation funding, these can be sent via email to Jennifer Okes at okes_j@cde.state.co.us

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A few notes prior to the meeting starting:

SB 23-094 School Transportation Task Force

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August 13, 2024

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Virtual Meeting

Overview of Today’s Agenda

• Agenda Item #1- Data Collection Update
• Agenda Item #2- Review of Current Transportation Requirements
• Agenda Item #3- Walk-Zones
• Agenda Item #4- Access to School Choice
• Agenda Item #5- Determining Eligibility
• Agenda Item #6- Staffing and Funding
• Agenda Item #7- Maximizing Utilization
• Agenda Item #8- Finalize & Vote on Recommendation Components
• Agenda Item #9- Next Steps

Guidelines for Interaction, Deliberation and Collaboration

• Respect others
• Cameras on whenever possible
• High engagement from all members
• High level of trust with each out
• Assume positive intent
• Collaborate as a team to benefit our students
• Encourage open dialogue
• Respectful dialogue
• Enable every member to have a voice
• Consider other member’s experience and knowledge
• Consider other member’s viewpoints
• Avoid assumptions
• Avoid personal or professional motives
• Provide and review topics in advance
• Establish clear agendas and desired outcomes for each meeting
• Develop clear goals and objectives
• Keep the work task and outcome oriented
• Keep the interests of the task force and the needs of the students at the forefront of the work.
• Keep students at the center of the conversation

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Key Norm Areas:

Decision Making Norm

Equality of Process

Conflict Resolution

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Design Thinking

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning

https://citl.illinois.edu/paradigms/design-thinking

Data Collection Update

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Additional District Data

• During the September 5th meeting we will be discussing funding and the reimbursement process for transportation funding.
• School Finance Department has updated budget estimates based on the FPP Subcommittee recommendations discussed in February.

Project Plan

Review Final Report

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Finalize Full Set of Recommendations

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Decision on Changes to Funding Model and Reimbursement Process

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Decisions on Legislative Rule Changes to Address Eligibility and Utilization

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Decisions on Drivers Salaries, Benefits, and Developing Talent Pipelines

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Decisions on Innovation Grant & Collaboration

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Eligibility, Utilization, and Service Gaps

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Drivers Salaries, Benefits, and Talent Pipelines

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Current Transportation Funding Model and Reimbursement Process

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Innovation Grant Program & Transportation Collaboration Across the State

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Review Topics and Determine Minimum Recommendation Expectations

Decision Making to Establish Final Recommendations

Finalize Recommendations and Report

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

There will be an additional Task Force meeting Monday September 23rd 10am-1pm

Transportation Task Force

22-107-101 (2) THEREFORE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECLARES THAT IT IS IN

THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE STATE TO DIRECT THE COMMISSIONER OF

EDUCATION TO CONVENE THE COLORADO SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION

MODERNIZATION TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE ISSUES FACING SCHOOL

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND USE THE STUDY'S FINDINGS TO DEVELOP

AND RECOMMEND POLICIES, LAWS, AND RULES TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SCHOOL

TRANSPORTATION ACROSS THE STATE IN ORDER TO BETTER MEET STUDENT

NEEDS AND ALLEVIATE BURDENS ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

Define

Minimum Requirements Model

Define

Minimum Requirements Model

Define

1

2

3

Transportation Eligibility & Utilization

Define

22-107-104 (2)(k) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEGISLATION OR RULES THAT MAY IMPROVE SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEGISLATION OR RULES THAT DO NOT EXACERBATE THE MARGINALIZATION OF COMMUNITIES THROUGH SEPARATION WHILE PROTECTING PUBLIC FUNDS

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Consensus Minimum Requirements

Define

During the April Task Force Meeting, the Task Force came to consensus around the following

• Eligibility & Utilization
• Create guidelines to assist districts in considering identified barriers to transportation including
• walk-zones,
• access to school choice, and
• how districts make determinations regarding transportation eligibility,
• transportation staffing
• transportation funding.

Current Transportation Requirements

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Current Federal law requires school transportation be provided to the following groups:

• Students with Special Needs
• Students in Foster Care
• Students who are Homeless

Empathize

COLORADO TRANSPORTING STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS GUIDE

2024-2025

Current Transportation Requirements

Empathize

2023 Colorado Code

Title 22 - Education

Article 32 - School District Boards - Powers and Duties

§ 22-32-113. Transportation of Pupils - When

SECTION 22-32-113(1) (C) AND (D) - TRANSPORTATION OF PUPILS – WHEN 22-32-113. Transportation of pupils - when (1) The board of education of a school district MAY FURNISH TRANSPORTATION: (a) To and from public schools of the district for any reasonable classification of resident pupils enrolled in the schools of the district; (b) To and from public schools located in an adjacent state for any reasonable classification of resident pupils who have not completed the twelfth grade, but only if the district of attendance is one to which the district of residence of such pupils is authorized to pay tuition for the attendance of such pupils; (c) To and from public schools for any reasonable classification of pupils enrolled in the schools of the district who are residents of any other school district, IF THE DISTRICT OF RESIDENCE IS ADJACENT TO THE DISTRICT OF ATTENDANCE, AND IF THE BOARD OR OTHER GOVERNING BODY OF THE DISTRICT OF RESIDENCE CONSENTS TO SUCH TRANSPORTATION; (d) To and from any school-sponsored activity, or for any emergency, for any reasonable classification of resident pupils enrolled in the schools of the district, whether said activity or emergency be within or without the territorial limits of the 66 district, and whether or not occurring during school hours.

Current Transportation Requirements

Empathize

2023 Colorado Code

Title 22 - Education

Article 32 - School District Boards - Powers and Duties

§ 22-32-113. Transportation of Pupils - When

SECTION 22-32-113(2) - TRANSPORTATION OF PUPILS - WHEN A board MAY determine the points at which pupils shall be received and delivered and the routes of transportation pursuant to subsection (1) of this section.

SECTION 22-32-113(3) - TRANSPORTATION OF PUPILS - WHEN If it is impractical, as determined by the board, to furnish transportation to and from school for any resident pupil enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in the schools of the district pursuant to subsection (1) (a), (1) (b), or (1) (c) of this section, the board MAY pay the cost, or any portion thereof, of room and board for the pupil to reside at a point near a school of the district of residence or a school of a district to which the district of residence is authorized to pay tuition.

Current Transportation Requirements

Empathize

2023 Colorado Code

Title 22 - Education

Article 32 - School District Boards - Powers and Duties

§ 22-32-113. Transportation of Pupils - When

SECTION 22-32-113(4) - TRANSPORTATION OF PUPILS - WHEN A board MAY reimburse a parent or guardian for the expenses incurred by such parent or guardian in furnishing transportation to and from a public school or designated school vehicle stop for his or her child or children and for other pupils enrolled in the schools of the district, BUT THE BOARD SHALL NOT REIMBURSE ANY PERSON FOR TRANSPORTATION FURNISHED TO A PUPIL RESIDENT IN ANOTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE BOARD OR OTHER GOVERNING BODY OF THE DISTRICT OF RESIDENCE. The amount and payment of transportation expenses are determined by the board paying the expenses.

SECTION 22-32-114 – TRANSPORTATION BY PARENTS OF OWN CHILDREN Notwithstanding the provisions of section 42-4-1904, C.R.S. the board of a school district shall not require a parent or guardian to comply with said statutes and school bus regulations when such parent or guardian shall transport only his or her own child or children, even though the board may reimburse such parent or guardian for expenses incurred in furnishing such transportation.

Current Transportation Requirements

Ideate

Clarifying

Questions

• Transportation to and from school for students with special needs and students in foster care or students who are homeless is a MUST

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• All other forms of school transportation are a MAY

Eligibility

What guidelines would assist districts in considering the barrier of walk-zones with regards to district transportation eligibility?

Empathize

Current Transportation Requirements

SECTION 22-32-113(2) - TRANSPORTATION OF PUPILS - WHEN A board MAY determine the points at which pupils shall be received and delivered and the routes of transportation pursuant to subsection (1) of this section.

Empathize

District Data

Empathize

Is there a walk zone policy?

Numbers represent total districts that indicated they had a walk zone policy within that range for grades K-12.

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Parent/Guardian Data

Q17 Have you ever requested a different form of transportation?

Empathize

87% of requests were denied. Most common reasons for denial were

• Within walk zone
• Not enough drivers and/or busses
• No bussing available in the district
• Not enough funding

Existing Colorado Program

Colorado Safe Routes to School (SRTS) uses a comprehensive approach to make school routes safe for children when walking and bicycling to school. CDOT administers Colorado's SRTS program. Safe Routes to School program presents schools, school districts, or communities with an opportunity to make walking and bicycling to school safer and more accessible for children, including those with disabilities. Each community or individual school may choose to emphasize different components to make its program work.

CDOT 2020 report indicated that the Safe Routes to School program has been utilized by schools in Denver and Boulder however rural communities have not taken advantage of the program.

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Empathize

Next cycle opens Fall 2024 and has $7M dollars available for applicants.

Existing Federal Resources

Planning Safer School Bus Stops and Routes Toolkit

The toolkit includes an interactive tool for planning safer school bus stops and routes. This guide highlights best practices in selecting safer school bus stops. It was created in 2022 to not only update previous considerations for developing safer school bus stops, but also to incorporate policy considerations for school bus routes and pedestrian paths.

Empathize

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The toolkit takes a Safe System approach, considering the impacts of and interaction among various aspects (e.g., child pedestrians, the school bus, other vehicles, environmental factors) of a child’s journey to and from school.

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The toolkit is designed to reflect safety considerations that are inclusive of all users of school transportation systems by recognizing the characteristics, risks, and behaviors of children of all ages.

Eligibility Walk-Zones

Ideate

Clarifying

Questions

Should recommendations incorporate existing state and/or federal resources?

Should recommendations for addressing walk-zones create policy standards?

Eligibility

What guidelines would assist districts in considering the barrier of access to school choice with regards to district transportation eligibility?

Empathize

Current Transportation Requirements

SECTION 22-32-113(1) (C) To and from public schools for any reasonable classification of pupils enrolled in the schools of the district who are residents of any other school district, IF THE DISTRICT OF RESIDENCE IS ADJACENT TO THE DISTRICT OF ATTENDANCE, AND IF THE BOARD OR OTHER GOVERNING BODY OF THE DISTRICT OF RESIDENCE CONSENTS TO SUCH TRANSPORTATION;

Empathize

Parent/Guardian Data

Q6 Does your student attend their neighborhood school?

Empathize

Parent/Guardian Data

Q7 Would you have your student attend a different school if transportation was available?

Empathize

School Choice Transportation Legislation

Transportation Legislation

• Alabama- Transportation is only provided if the student is leaving a failing traditional public school.
• California- Receiving district is responsible for transportation.
• Minnesota- Receiving district is responsible, but only up to the district’s boundaries.
• Iowa- Transportation is only provided for students with special needs.
• West Virginia- County boards are in charge of determining transportation agreements for students wishing to utilize interdistrict transfers.
• Rhode Island- Support is provided, but only within state-determined transportation zones.

Transporting School Choice Students March 2020

Empathize

Education Legislation Bill Tracker

Eligibility School Choice

Ideate

Clarifying

Questions

Should the group recommend a thorough review of existing and proposed inter-district legislation be considered?

Should the recommendations make any specific requirements regarding inter-district transport expectations?

Eligibility

What guidelines would assist districts in determining transportation eligibility to help better meet student need?

Empathize

Current Transportation Requirements

SECTION 22-32-113(1) (C) AND (D) - TRANSPORTATION OF PUPILS – WHEN 22-32-113. Transportation of pupils - when (1) The board of education of a school district MAY FURNISH TRANSPORTATION:

Empathize

District Data

Empathize

Who is eligible for district transportation?

Driver Data

Empathize

Q36- On average, how long is your route? (Time estimate include full round trip from leaving bus depot until returning to bus depot)

Numbers represent total districts that indicated they had a route at a given length during morning, midday, or afternoon..

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Driver Data

Q38- On average, how full is your route?

Empathize

Numbers represent total districts that indicated they had route at varying capacities during morning, midday, or afternoon.

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Parent/Guardian Data

Q11- Which forms of transportation are available to your student?

Empathize

The distance that students live from the school they attend varies widely across all district settings, however, students in more rural areas tend to live further away from their school. 62% of respondents said their school or district had contacted them about transportation options that were available to them, while only 11% of respondents said their school or district had made them aware of alternative transportation options for students with special needs.

District Data

Empathize

What is your public transit access policy?

District Data

Empathize

What factors are hampering your ability to provide transportation?

Other common responses included:

• Parents not registering or providing inaccurate information when registering
• Small number of students living far apart from each other and the school
• Short turnaround times for making and changing routes.

Over 60% of respondents that provided feedback indicated that insufficient driving staff hampered their ability to provide transportation.

Eligibility Determination

Ideate

Clarifying

Questions

What are the most critical underlying factors to address with regards to eligibility?

How can recommendations address those underlying factors directly?

Break

Eligibility

What guidelines would assist districts in determining how transportation staffing and funding is addressed?

Empathize

District Data

Empathize

Factors that hamper district transportation

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• Not enough drivers
• Inaccurate or untimely information
• Small number of students
• Short turnaround times for routing

All lead to inefficient routing for school districts and an inability to meet the transportation needs of students

District Data

Empathize

Factors that helped district transportation

“With software we are able to adjust routes to run as optimized as possible.”

“No issues, with routing software and adjustments made annually. We see buses running around 75%-100% full on our routes, And service around 95% of our district.”

“Our routing software has helped greatly with this and eliminated issues for our district.”

“With the use of routing software, we have solved most of those issues.”

Several districts indicated that the use of routing software had eliminated transportation issues and allowed them to optimize services.

Comments came from 3 outlying towns and 1 urban/suburban district

Rural districts route manually while urban use software

Empathize

What method do you use to route students?

Most districts track daily ridership manually

Empathize

What method do you use to track daily ridership?

Eligibility Staffing and Funding Issues

Ideate

Clarifying

Questions

Should recommendations address routing software within the state?

Should recommendations address other underlying factors identified?

Utilization

What guidelines would assist districts in maximizing utilization of available transportation?

Empathize

Parent/Guardian Data

Empathize

Q24- What form of transportation does your student currently use?

Parent/Guardian Data

Q27 If district transportation was available would you use it?

Empathize

Most common reasons that transportation is not available

• Within walk zone- 25%
• Attend school out of district- 32%
• No transportation in district- 17%
• Other reason or don’t know- 26%

Parent/Guardian Data

Empathize

Families not eligible for district transportation

Of the 171 families that indicated they were not eligible for transportation 118 indicated they would use it if they were eligible for district transportation.

Reasons not eligible

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• Within walk zone- 25%
• Attend school out of district- 32%
• No transportation in district- 17%
• Other reason or don’t know- 26%

Parent/Guardian Data

Empathize

Families that choose to drive

Of the 708 families that choose to drive, only 66 also indicated that they were not eligible for district transportation.

Of the 708 families that choose to drive, 223 also indicated that they were eligible for district transportation.

419

Parent/Guardian Data

Empathize

Q31 Why does your family choose to transport your student?

Most common “Other” reasons was that the parent worked at the student’s school

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Parent/Guardian Data

• No- personal preference, too much time on the bus, inconvenient pick up or drop off time, concerns about other passengers

Empathize

Q33 Would anything change your mind?

• Yes- electric buses, different school start times, first off bus and last on bus, time and location more convenient for me, more supervision on the bus

District Utilization Data

Empathize

Utilization Survey Respondents (out of 178 possible districts)

K-5th Grade Utilization

Empathize

Estimated utilization of district-funded transport (SY 2022-2023)

6-8th Grade Utilization

Empathize

Estimated utilization of district-funded transport (SY 2022-2023)

9-12th Grade Utilization

Empathize

Estimated utilization of district-funded transport (SY 2022-2023)

Utilization Opt-In

Empathize

Does the district have an Opt-In process to specify utilization?

Opt-In Process

How does the Opt-In process work?

Districts that shared information about opt-in processes typically fell into one of three categories:

• Registration Yes/No
• Notify only if Yes
• Contact families directly

Many districts indicated that the first two methods can and often do lead to inaccurate information being provided.

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Additionally, several districts mentioned that even with the opt-in process sometimes families sign students up for transportation but don’t use it, or don’t sign up but use transportation anyways.

Empathize

Utilization

Ideate

Clarifying

Questions

Are there recommendations that can be made that will help increase utilization?

Should recommendations focus on methods for making ridership tracking more accurate?

Proposed Language for Recommendation

Prototype

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• Eligibility
• Walk-zones-
• encourage use of resources
• cde promote the \ use of resources
• provide technical assistance to district participants
• requirement for districts to incorporate spec language
• Access to school choice-
• Value statement students should have ability and district partial responsible- to access school of choice, needs to be refined by another taskforce to look at expanding access through investigating promising practices happening in and out of state to access school of choice
• Think outside the box
• Determining eligibility-
• Determining staffing/funding-
• would like the legislature to explore a way to ensure a cost effective means of all school district in colorado to access gps and routing software potentially by grant program or reimbursement process
• State look into discounted bulk purchase of software
• Utilization
• encourage districts to provide more information about transportation to raise awareness about what is available
• encourage districts to utilize a variety of forms of communication- phone, text, email, flyer

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Decision Needed

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• Recommendation Stated
• Fist to Five Vote
• Articulate Concerns*
• Discussion of Concerns*
• Restate Decision & Record Vote

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62

Should the Transportation Task Force put forth a recommendation for Eligibility and Utilization as stated above?

Next Steps

Next Meeting:

Thursday September 5th @ 10AM

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Next Topic:

Something

• Agenda and Pre-reads will be sent out the week before
• If you have suggested readings for the group please send to Kate or Susan

Closing

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Thank You!!

See you on September 5th

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