Bus Ridership Week is September 25-29, 2023!
This week is Bus Ridership Week in North Carolina. Each year, the state determines transportation funding for school districts by how many students ride the bus both to and from school. According to Jeremy Stowe, Director of Transportation for Buncombe County Schools, Bus Ridership Week is crucial for our school system to get an accurate snapshot of which students could need bus transportation at any time of the year.
State funding for school transportation is determined by three factors: the total number of buses operating, total expenditures, and the number of students riding buses, and that number will be determined September 25-29.
“We are encouraging students to ride the bus as many days as possible during the week of the count,” said Jeremy Stowe, BCS Transportation Director. “Since the needs of our families could change throughout the year, we want to ensure that we’ll have the resources available to accommodate all of our bus riders!”
School buses are the safest way to get students to school, and they offer convenience to families who utilize them on a daily basis. Students riding the bus keep more cars off the road, especially in high-traffic areas near schools. Buncombe County school buses travel 15,000 miles each school day, transporting approximately 10,000 students to and from school. To ensure continued funding, it is important to have each of those students on the bus as many times during bus ridership week as possible.