School Transportation as a Tool for Educational Equity

• Maxwell Rosenthal, International Relations, University of Delaware

• Kelly Sherretz, Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware

For generations, school transportation has been a policy issue intertwinedconcerned with issues of safety, efficiency, and equity. From the time of legal segregation in Delaware through Louis L. Redding’s fight for educational equity and the 1978 busing mandates, transportation has both expanded educational access and perpetuated inequality. The more recent Neighborhood Schools Act, meant to shorten commute times and strengthen communities, faced criticism for reinforcing patterns of residential and educational resegregation.

Now the Redding Consortium for Educational Equity, named in honor of Louis L. Redding, is working to achieve educational equity for Wilmington students through the reworking of school and district boundaries. To better understand the potential implications of redistricting on transportation for students and to help inform the consortium’s work, I analyzed Wilmington’s current school transportation policies and how potential policies could impact students and families. The report examines Delaware’s transportation eligibility standards, including distance requirements, unique hazard provisions, public transit eligibility, school choice transportation, and the state’s oversight of transportation contracts. Bus driver shortages, student safety, and commute times are just some of the key challenges that emerged.

The report also examines how other states have addressed transportation challenges when consolidating or redistricting. Case studies highlight strategies of route efficiency, public transit partnerships, and ride time limits. The examples from across the country portray the adaptability of transportation systems to reworked district boundaries and how transportation can be used as a tool for equity. As the Redding Consortium considers various redistricting proposals, transportation should not be confined to a logistical game, but a means for equity, community engagement, and student success.