Driving Your Student to and from School vs Taking the School Bus

Ever wonder what the cost difference is between driving your student to and from school vs taking the school bus? Whether it be a scheduling convenience, saving time or perceived safety, ongoing issues involving the transportation of children to and from school have forced many parents to assess this issue at the beginning of every school year. In fact, many parents adopted the practice of driving their child to and from school at the onset of COVID to reduce the likelihood that their child might become infected with the disease. This practice continues today where many parents still bring their child to school in the morning and pick them up from school at the end of the day. There are many reasons why parents continue to transport their children to school and back:

1. A large share of parents - about 75% - say they drive for convenience and to save time, especially for trips under 2 miles.

2. The dependability of the bus, with route reductions and/or driver shortages has caused pick up and drop off inconsistencies which creates more problems than needed and this unpredictability continues to cause concerns each year.

3. Overall student behavior on the bus, while in transit, was and still is an issue for many parents.

One aspect of transporting children to and from school, that is often overlooked is the overall cost. The cost of school bus transportation to the parent, we know what that is. It is usually a standard cost per student per year with discounted costs for families. The overall cost of parent/student drop off and pick up will vary. Distance from school, gas prices and the number of trips made each day will add up. Ironically, this cost is not just restricted to the parent affected by the commute. It also effectively increases the budget costs for the school system in the form of additional infrastructure, traffic controls and of course, a net effect on safety.

Below is a simple cost comparison comparing actual transportation costs for parents driving their child to and from school compared to the rates charged by the school system for school bus transportation. This comparison assumes some basic criteria that has been used for the purpose of determining these daily transportation costs. Included in these comparisons are:

1. Calculated costs based on students transported (single student (1) / household (2+) per round trip with separate trips assumed for Middle School/High School and Elementary School locations.

2. Calendar is based on a 180 day school calendar year

3. Round trips (to and from home) are calculated based on distances of 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 miles from school. (Note: Intermittent pickup and drop off transportation from work or other destinations cannot be calculated and is considered separate and not included in this analysis).

4. Gasoline prices are based on an average of $3.00. $3.50 and $4.00 per gallon

5. Average vehicle miles per gallon (MPG) - 22 MPG, which is the average MPG for a standard SUV, which most people now drive.

6. An "inconvenience factor" (basically time) should be added to personal schedules due to delays, heavy traffic, etc., but is not included in the calculation nor is personal vehicle wear and tear.

7. Increased time, inconvenience and any additional costs reflected against the school budget, primarily for traffic control, is not included in this comparison.

8. The safety of those concerned - primarily the children - is also not included in this comparison. (It should be noted that increases in traffic in or around schools must obviously be considered as a priority for the safety and well being of all concerned).

Miles from Home	RT 1 (AM)	RT 2 (PM)	Tot. Miles Driven	180 School Days	Tot. Miles driven /Yr.	Miles / 22 Gals. Used	$3.00 / Gal.	$3.50 / Gal.	$4.00 / Gal.	Tot. Annual Cost / Student Family	Cost of Taking the Bus
2.5	5.0	5.0	10.0	180	1800	82	$246	$287	$328	$328	$200
			20.0		3600	164	$492	$574	$656	$656	$400
5.0	10.0	10.0	20.0	180	3600	164	$492	$574	$656	$656	$200
			40.0		7200	327	$981	$1145	$1308	$108	$400
10.0	20.0	20.0	40.0	180	7200	327	$981	$1145	$1308	$1308	$200
			80.0		14440	654	$1962	$2289	$2616	$2616	$400

Let's keep in mind that continuing to make school bus travel a viable option for student transportation, depends on consistency, timeliness and a commitment to being at the bus stop each day, every day at the same time. The safety and well-being of the passenger is paramount but the effectiveness and efficiency of the system that they rely on; makes it all happen.