Bus ridership week — Sept. 20-24

Press release from Buncombe County Schools

Next week is Bus Ridership Week in North Carolina. Each year, the state determines transportation funding for school districts by how many students ride the bus both to and from school. According to David Rhoney, director of transportation for Buncombe County Schools, bus ridership week is crucial for our school system to get an accurate snapshot of which students could need bus transportation at any time of the year.

“It is very important that students ride the bus as many days possible during the week of the count,” said Mr. Rhoney. “Since the needs of our families could change throughout the year, we want to ensure that we’ll have the resources available to accommodate all of our bus riders!”

State funding for school transportation is determined by three factors: the total number of buses operating, total expenditures and the number of students riding buses. That number will be determined Sept. 20-24.

School buses are the safest way to get students to school, and they offer convenience to families who utilize them on a daily basis. Students riding the bus keep more cars off the road, especially in high-traffic areas near schools. Buncombe County and Asheville City school buses travel 17,000 miles each school day transporting approximately 17,000 students to and from school. To ensure continued funding it is important to have each of those students on the bus as many times during bus ridership week as possible.