§ 6-19-123 - Transportation efficiency study. - Arkansas Statutes

6-19-123. Transportation efficiency study.

(a) The Bureau of Legislative Research in conjunction with the Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation shall conduct a study of the transportation of public school students by public school districts in the state with an emphasis on public school districts resulting from consolidation or annexation, isolated school districts, and public school districts with declining enrollment to assess whether the time and cost of public school district transportation for students enrolled in those public school districts can or should be minimized.

(b) The study shall include, without limitation, the following:

(1) How public school districts administer student transportation routes and number of school buses to accommodate student needs;

(2) How regional or local geography influences time and cost of school bus routes;

(3) How student characteristics and density or scarcity of student population impact the time and cost of student transportation; and

(4) A review of other states' practices concerning student transportation.

(c) The bureau shall report its findings and recommendations to the House Interim Committee on Education and the Senate Interim Committee on Education before October 1, 2008.

(d) The report shall include, without limitation, the following:

(1) A description of the boundaries of all public school districts resulting from consolidation or annexation;

(2) A list of public school districts for which a boundary adjustment or other alternative would reduce the public school district's transportation time or cost;

(3) A detailed description of each alternative for reducing a public school district's transportation time or cost, including without limitation for each alternative:

(A) The number of hours of transportation time saved per student presented by public school district and by statewide total; and

(B) The total cost saved under the alternative presented by public school district and by statewide total; and

(4) A description of the proposed implementation of any alternative, including without limitation:

(A) The cost of implementation; and

(B) For any boundary change considered in the alternative, the impact, if any, of the boundary change on an affected public school district's compliance with the State Board of Education's standards for accreditation, academic achievement, and financial management.