INDIANAPOLIS — Transportation to and from school is vital for working families.
According to a survey taken by nearly 800 residents within the IPS school district, current transportation creates some challenges.
"Making sure that the buses are coming on time and for the pick-ups,” Carol Cooper said. “Have them dropped off when you say that you are dropping them off. That's the main thing."
Cooper's granddaughter attends IPS schools. She is one of the people who took the survey.
While she says reliability is an issue, she also has safety concerns and feels like more could be done when kids are being dropped off after school.
"A lit-up corner would be nice,” Cooper said. “If they are going to be on the corner, make it a high curve sight. Make it where people are watching or something. You have plenty of time to know where you are going to have the bus stops for different schools and locations."
While safety is a concern, one of the major findings from the survey was that 83% of respondents support a combined transportation system. That would include sharing transportation with other districts and utilizing public transportation.
"We looked at the IPS district because there are several public schools within the IPS boundary that do not provide school transportation,” Katherin Chi with RISE INDY said.
Raising Indianapolis Schools to Excellence, otherwise known as Rise INDY, conducted the survey. The survey was in response to House Enrolled Act 1380.
The law requires the Indiana Department of Education Secretary to come up with a pilot program to improve transportation for all schools. The non-partisan education group says improved transportation can also improve educational outcomes.
"Students 3-8 are reading below grade level,” Chi said. “So having reliable transportation is really going to remove a barrier for students to get to school and benefit from learning to read.”
The Department of Education agrees.
Their pilot program outline suggests several options for schools, including public-private partnerships, a centralized transportation authority and even incorporating ride-share options.
These are all options the legislature will have to consider in the upcoming legislative session.
"We are hoping that the lawmakers take a close look at these results and also understand what some of the issues the families are facing are,” Chi said.
Rise INDY says they did submit their findings to the Department of Education. You can see the full report by clicking here.
