The Utah Senate unanimously voted to keep minimum pupil transportation funding intact at more than $1.3 million for fiscal year 2011 after previous proposals were made to eliminate home to school transportation for thousands of the state's high school students.

"The passing of Senate Bill 2 provided the restoration of every dollar to the state supported pupil transportation budget," wrote Murrell Martin, the pupil transportation specialist at the Utah State Office of Education, in an email to school district transportation personnel. "Many individuals and groups on all levels are to be credited with being part of sending clear messages about the overall value of school bus transportation to the state of Utah."

Originally, Sen. Chris Buttars proposed cutting high school busing outside of densely-populated areas and phasing out 12th grade in favor of an accelerated graduation program, all to save some $300 million from the state education budget. Opponents argued that eliminating high school busing in rural areas would in many cases remove the only way many students had to get to and from school. For those students who could afford to drive themselves, opponents also feared that school parking lots would not be large enough to accommodate the extra vehicles.

Martin said that lobbying efforts spearheaded by transportation stakeholders were key to explaining the benefits of school bus transportation, including the safety element as well as reducing traffic congestion and pollution and providing operations cost savings over other modes.

"With an increased number of students entering the school system in the fall of this year, there will be a need for developing increased efficiencies in order to continue to provide the same excellent services for an increased number of students on the same amount of state funding," Murrell added. "By identifying the best practices in each category of urban and rural school districts, together we can increase our efficiency overall while maintaining the same high level of safety and service."

The bill also requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules for transporting charter school students but does not make charter schools eligible to receive state transportation funds. However, charter schools may provide transportation through an agreement with a local school board, a private contrator or with parents.