California could soon front the bill for school buses

California could soon pay the fare for students to ride buses to and from K-12 schools, bringing relief to potentially millions of kids who since last fall are back to attending their neighborhood schools in-person but don’t have a reliable way to get there.

SB 878 would ensure nearly all public school children in grades TK-12 — including students who are homeless or have special needs — have access to free transportation to and from their neighborhood school each day.

If the bill passes, school districts or county offices of educations could launch or expand their own public school transportation systems funded by the state, or partner with public transit agencies to get students to and from school.

Sen. Nancy Skinner, an East Bay Democrat, introduced the bill to bring California up to national standards for home-to-school transportation.

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