his year’s state budget was a historic moment in many ways. For CSBA, the reversal of 40 years of disinvestment in California’s home-to-school transportation program represents one of the sweetest victories in recent memory.
Many said it couldn’t be done, but alongside our partners at the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), CSBA’s fierce advocacy — which included many local meetings with legislators initiated by our own members — delivered a budget that will provide millions more California students the chance to ride a bus to school. Here’s how it happened.
Foundation laid
CSBA staff continued outreach efforts in the leadup to the Governor’s budget proposal in the new year, which — while a promising start — did not address the need for action on transportation. And in late January, Budget Committee Chair Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) introduced Senate Bill 878, which proposed an unacceptable mandate that districts offer transportation to all students living outside of walking distance and establishing a flat per-mile reimbursement rate for the transportation program.
While we applauded the Senator’s work to highlight the critical issues in funding for school transportation, we knew the bill’s mandate and funding structure failed to recognize local circumstances, the need to build local capacity and infrastructure, and the ongoing labor shortages and cost pressures. Ultimately, the bill created more challenges than solutions for school transportation.
CSBA’s Legislative Committee took an Oppose position while staff continued to work with Senator Skinner and lobby key decision-makers throughout early 2022, building the case for a major investment with the Newsom Administration and the Legislature and laying the foundation for CSBA members to spring into action in March.
CSBA members make the case at Legislative Action Week
Members from all over California shared how the lack of funding has directly impacted their students: how they have been forced to divert resources out of the classroom and away from vital student services or limit busing only to students with special needs, and how some have reluctantly turned to sharing the cost of transportation services with parents. Those from small and rural districts spoke on the outsized costs of long bus routes necessary to transport students across wide distances and difficult terrain, and how recruiting drivers was an ongoing challenge worsened by the pandemic.
Legislators heard from hundreds of our members that, while they believed a mandate was the wrong approach, districts across the state were extremely eager to provide their students with the benefits of a robust home-to-school transportation program and, given adequate funding, would jump at the chance to provide one.
Keeping up the momentum
The transportation mandate was included in the legislative budget plan released in early June, and with the issue unaddressed in the Governor’s May Budget Revision or the initial budget bill passed in mid-June, we knew it would be a key bargaining chip between the Legislature and the Governor.
Closing the deal
Board members statewide kept the pressure on Gov. Newsom and the Legislature through CSBA’s online advocacy tool, sending nearly 1,300 emails pushing for a final budget deal that would give schools the funding they need without an unsustainable mandate.
Fierce advocacy pays off for schools
All told, funding for home-to-school transportation increased by $637 million in ongoing Proposition 98 funding. This foundational win provides districts an unprecedented opportunity to give millions of students the benefits of school busing — from improved attendance to better access to programs and services and less pollution and traffic. After many years of disinvestment, CSBA’s fierce and dedicated advocacy overcame skepticism and resistance to secure a win that will improve the lives of students across California for years to come.