Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Many families who choose to enroll their students in a school other than the one assigned to them encounter transportation challenges. This research looks at attitudes and issues of K-12 parents related to school transportation using approximately 1,500 responses to a national survey in the United States. Respondents include about 550 district school parents, about 350 charter school parents, about 350 religious private school parents, and about 200 non-religious private school parents. We explore differences in modes of transportation across different schooling sectors between the onset of the school year and after the school year has started and why changes occurred, how far and for how much time children of different schooling sectors travel to get to school, and parental satisfaction with school-provided transportation and differences across schooling sectors. We explore parents’ transportation experiences in inter- and intra-district choice environments, as well as charter and private school choice environments. We also explore what differences exist across community types, focusing on differences between those in small town/rural areas and those in urban/suburban areas. Results from our survey can provide policymakers, educators, and educational entrepreneurs important insight when attempting to provide and increase transportation options for all students.